When I was Queen
by dragonrose8910
Summary: Humans are vile creatures. They deceive, they manipulate. They lie. My name is Touko Sharondale, sole heir to Unova's throne, and I can actually see when someone is lying. And everyone lies. Despite the beautiful masks they may wear. My entire life was full of people lying to me. When I finally grew too sick of it, I ran. I became White Albion. Little did I know what awaited me.
1. Chapter 1

"Mommy loves Touko very much," the regal woman turned her chin up towards the sky with her nose pointed away from me. Despite her fair porcelain skin, from the view I saw from my eyes, she radiated an aura that hissed from her very existence like a thick smog of darkness. "but mommy is very busy right now. Go on and play with Bianca."

With that, the woman tore away from me hastily, yanking her violet cage dress from my grabby palms. I stumbled slightly forward with a broken shake in my eyes; my dark bun shook out a few curls. I watched my mother adjust a crown atop of her head before striding away with an elegant swish. The echoing sound of heels clattering against the creamy marble floors distanced itself from were I stood helplessly. The regal woman's aura dissipated in her silence, and the guards quickly straightened their posture as she passed by.

A hand the same size as mine slipped around my fingers hesitantly, and my royal playmate threw her head over my shoulder with blonde cropped locks that were immediately shoved into my face. "Come _on_ , Toukie." I angled my head slightly to focus on the girl's glinting emerald eyes with a hint of fear reflected in my own. "We can go to the courtyard, if you want."

I sucked in a breath sharply, "I would _rather_ go to the playroom."

My playmate shrunk away from me with a smile, "Alright. Now, let's go!" The blonde was already skipping ahead of me down the vast corridor. The child's torn peasant dress flicked behind her, and my mind quickly noted to ask father to give her nicer clothes next time.

Slowly, I followed behind her, crinkling my fingers in my _extravagantly_ ruffled, baby pink dress. I peered around at my surroundings, taking notice of the golden tapestries tumbling from the high ceiling between the spindling columns. The knights and their Pokemon who were posted every ten steps nodded to me in acknowledgement. It was their focused stares that made the feeling of my silver tiara sink further into my scalp while I gnawed at my lip anxiously. I picked up my pace and hurried my way to the playroom, not wanting to remain here for much longer.

The entrance was guarded by a single knight clad in flashy silver armor, and his breast plate bore the royal crest. It was very simple really: a fancy "S" entangled by rose thorns that formed a circle around it, and at the top where the vines met was a king's crown. To the man's right was a similarly armored Escavalier who saluted one of its Christmas cane jousting spears to me. I granted it a subtle nod before bustling into the room.

It was quite a large room with a crystal chandelure illuminating the existing luminous space. The carpeting swirled with every color of the rainbow and was sprinkled with _hundreds_ of toys. A train that still emitted smoke tipped from its set forth tracks, endlessly running its wheels to move unsuccessfully. A skateboarding ramp I would never use took up a large portion of the room, and letter blocks were thrown around it. At the very end of the room was a towering window of rose-tinted glass that curved outwards to the courtyard. Restlessly sitting on the window's ledge, I met the gaze of my playmate with her head slumped in the palm of her puny hands.

Pacing over to her, I followed the blonde's gaze to where two eight-year-old boys played. Both were dressed in commoners garb, but one with chocolate hair held a wooden sword firmly within his fingers. He thrusted forth at the skinnier one playfully, poking the wooden tip into the other boy's leather book bag being used as something to cower behind. The hiding one had midnight-blue locks and a pair of crooked wire glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. His silver eyes hurriedly flew about before landing on my playmate standing beside me and smiled slightly to her.

"...did he smile at _me_?" Bianca squeaked beside me with both excitement and fear. "Or you?" Her face visibly fell as that thought merely danced across her mind.

"At you, Bianca." I answered simply, a grin pulling at the corners of my mouth in amusement.

Bianca's mother was a maid in the vast castle we resided in. Bianca was the only child my age in the castle who is also female, so she was assigned to act as my playmate since we were both infants. But...she never had nice clothes, and her choppy bob was always a curly mess around her cherubic face.

Her cheeks flushed slightly before ducking below the window sill in embarrassment. I giggled slightly at her before looking over towards the boys my age.

The one who smiled to Bianca was named Cheren: the son of my father's most _trusted_ advisor. And in a few years or so, Cheren was to be my advisor. He was currently in his "training" stage... Whatever _that_ means.

The other boy who's muddy hair flickered in the wind of motion as he wielded a fake weapon was named Touya. My cheek fell comfortably into my hand as I watched him joshingly attack Cheren. He was the son of the Royal Guard's Commander. He is always training to be a soldier, and I never found it tiring to watch him. Cheren's lips moved to form words to Touya whose eyes suddenly averted towards where I observed. His hair raised slightly with a pink tickling at his creamy cheeks, but his startled expression soon turned into a full-blown grin towards me. His smile took up his whole face, causing his eyes to shut in delight. I smiled back slightly, feeling the heat trickle up my neck, and my hand gave him the fairest wave.

That was when Bianca tugged at my dress skirt, motioning with her head for us to play on the floor. So, I went with her, falling to my knees gracefully as my dress flooded around my lower half and draped around the floor. My fingers found a small, white-furred Audino plush close beside me. Bianca found her way to a Musharna stuffy, and the two of us danced our toys around in silence.

After a little bit of time had passed, I glanced up at her to see she was staring up at me with unease. Quickly she dropped her gaze when she saw I had noticed and played with her pink creature quicker.

"Are you... _afraid_ of me?" I asked her quietly with a hint of hesitance flickering in my low voice.

Her heart looked as if it lurched into her throat, "No!" she shouted loudly, a dark aura drooling out from around her just as it did for my mother. "I'm not scared of you!" Both of her hands flung around the psychic doll before tucking it into her lap.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you scared of me?" I buzzed innocently with my head bowing slightly to lure out an answer.

Her head shook from side to side, and blonde locks dusted at her eyes as a smile shakily stretched across her lips. The black aura still clung around her as she exhaled, "Like I said, I'm not! I'm just a bit jumpy today!" her voice pressed loudly.

 _"You are most certainly a terrible liar..."_ I wanted to voice my thoughts aloud, but before I could, a woman with golden locks fluttering around her delicate face quickly flew into the room. Her shapeless dress draped around her as she held her arms out, "BiBi!" She sung melodiously as a Minccino crawled over the woman's shoulder.

Bianca's dark glow vanished as she looked to the woman with bright eyes. She practically leapt into the air to charge into the woman, "Mama!" she giggled, wrapping her arms around the maid's waist. The grey-pelted Pokemon brushed its head against Bianca's affectionately as they all hugged. Looking back up, my royal playmate asked, "Time to go home, mama?"

"Yes! Oh, mama missed you so _much_ while she was working!" Bianca's mother said lovingly to her daughter.

"I love you, mama!" Bianca cried as if reassuring herself or needing to hear four words for reassurance.

The woman ruffled Bianca's knots, "I love you, too." Only truth slipped from her pink lips. The woman glanced at me with a gentle smile stretched across her face, "Good evening, Miss. It is time for me to take Bianca back; I hope you won't be _too_ heartbroken..." The woman smiled beautifully.

I returned the gesture and spoke quietly, "I will be fine. Do take care."

"And you." She nodded her head with an eerie blackness hinting around her presence as she left, carrying the elated Bianca in her arms.

So, I now sat alone in the room, left to my own endeavors. That is how it _usually_ was... And then, I would be called to dinner. Father would coo over me while mother would agree to whatever he said with that normal, every-day cloud of darkness shrouding her. A mist no one else could see other than me. And then... I was off to bed.

But that night was different than the rest.

I am not quite sure just how late it was, but I can still recall the clamoring of armor and shields and Pokemon cries. I jolted up from my bed, eyes scanning through the curtains that draped over my bed frame. Shadows passed under my door crack one after another. I should have ignored it; I should have crawled back under my sheets and waited it out. I should have _waited_.

But I did not, in fact, wait, just as my gut had told me to do so. My feet slipped over my oversized bed and tripped over to my door. My silk nightgown trailed behind me softly as I cracked open the large wooden obstacle. The knights stormed down the hall towards the entrance of the castle, and the Commander motioned them down the halls with his booming voice. His Samurott called out to the soldier's Pokemon.

Slithering out, I plodded over to where the Commander stood firmly. "What is going on?" I yawned, clinging with one hand to my night gown.

He looked down at me quickly, his caramel eyes glinting with panic through the crack in the front of his helmet. An eerie blackness dripped from him as he told me with full confidence in his voice, "Nothing. We are going through a routinely drill tonight." His panicked eyes grew stone cold, "Return to your chambers, Miss."

"Sir! They broke through the gate!" a voice called out from farther down the corridor. The candles posted on the walls threw an orange glow over the commander's armor as he cursed.

"Who are _they_?" I inquired suspiciously, maybe a little afraid if I recall, as my heart thumped in my chest painfully.

The darkness consumed his entire being as he failed to even _flinch_ at my innocent question, "No one."

But as if to spite his words, a sudden explosion sent fire flying through the air just down the hall, flinging many of the men back along with their Pokemon. I heard their heads crackle against the walls and slump over. I was forced to stumble back from the aftershock, and terror suddenly washed over my entire being. A few knights struggled to regain their footing while others lie motionless on the cold, hard flooring. The candles where put out by a harsh whisper in the wind, but the residual fire from the blast that was climbing up the once-golden tapestries was enough to eerily illuminate the corridor.

I watched helplessly as people I had never seen before poured in with Pokemon I could not recognize, or even _process_ how fast they moved. They swarmed around anything that even twitched, immediately beating them to death. I let out a horrified squeak, shrinking back into the dark shadows of the hallway. No one seemed to notice me, the small little girl lying in the hall. All but one.

A long-bodied cat angled its purple head to me, and its glinting-jade eyes reflected nothing but bloodlust. Without a single command of an owner, the creature crawled closer to me, moving across the floor like the dancing shadows around. It bore its string of honed ivory fangs to me as the cream-specked spots of fur on the feline's back prickled up. When close enough, it lunged at me with the longest claws I had ever seen angled right for my throat.

Before it could strike though, a sword-like horn flew into the attacking Pokemon's stomach fur with an skin-rippling push. A Samurott cast its shadow over me as it curled its head around to toss the demon-cat into the fray. The blue-skinned water-type threw around its head and exasperatedly shouted to me angrily in its Pokemon language, "Samur! Mmur!"

Before I could even come _close_ to understanding the Pokemon, something snatched me up by my shoulder. I screamed and started to thrash about in fear as the person heaved me away, "Samurott, help!" I cried to the creature who was too occupied in fending off the invading Pokemon to hear me.

"Come on, we have to go! Stop fighting!" a high male voice cried out as I felt the grip on me tighten.

Spinning my head to face the person pulling me, I saw Touya's soot-covered face staring down at me with determination, and the faintest hint of fear. His typical, beautifully-askew hair was now flickering through the air in tangles.

"Touya..." I sniffled. In his open hand, he gripped his wooden sword so hard his knuckled turned ghostly-white and I could take notice some of his bone concealed by his fair skin.

"Yeah, now let's go!"

We ran.

And ran.

And ran.

Turning farther into the maze-like castle, our feet were just echoes lost in the raging sounds that tore at both of our hearts. My sweaty hand snugged itself tighter around Touya's. We shrunk down concrete steps to a place I had never seen; metal bars formed boxes every few steps. Old torches burned, illuminating handcuffs that hung from the ceiling by rusted chains.

My heart was threatening to burst as I whispered, "where _are_ we?"

Touya saw a partially opened door constructed of metal and nodded, "Castle Dungeons." He answered breathlessly, pushing me into a solitary room of silver. He grabbed a torch from the wall and thrust it into my trembling fingers. His black shirt I could now see was torn around the collar and his face was grim. More grim than any eight-year-old's face should _ever_ be.

"Who are they?"

"Who?"

" _Them_."

A shadow enveloped the commander's son from my eyes, "No one."

I shook my head but silently carried though further into the dungeons, our feet smacking against the stones beneath us as the ceiling above us shook out plumes of dirt from the ruckus above.

"We'll be safe here." A dark aura once again leaked from the boy as involuntary tears started to pour over my eyes.

I hiccupped out my words carefully, "No we will not..." My hands pulled at my dress and balled up clumps as the seams started to snap within my firm, shaky grasp.

Finally, his shadow aura slipped away as he grabbed the door's handle, "Don't worry."

"Why?"

"Because _I'll_ protect you, Princess Sharondale."

And with those words, he pulled the door shut, leaving me in a dark cell of solitary confinement that was only illuminated by a single flickering torch. My eyes poured lava-like streams of water down my face as I sobbed silently.

Touko Albion Sharondale. _That's_ my full name. From the Sharondale family, who have been ruling over the Unova region for centuries, I am the only child of King Elliot and Queen Candace; therefore, I am the single heir to the throne.

And ever since I can remember, I have the ability to see when people lie. Only from my vision, I am able to see a cloud of blackness encase them if they utter a single lie, no matter how innocent and harmless it may be. I cannot _stand_ liars and those who lie to me.

They make me feel as if I have been born into a _cage_ of lies that I simply cannot escape, no matter _what_ I do.


	2. Chapter 2

The arrow whistled through the air, its fletching vibrating just slightly with the wind kissing it. It only soared for a split moment before the arrowhead dove into the red and cream target, just a tad askew from the six point ring. Which was relatively large in size, even as I rode 20 meters away on one of the royal stable's Zebstrika. My hand awkwardly reached back to my quiver to only find it was vacant of anymore arrows. Silently, with my open hand, I snapped up the reins and pulled the striped steed to a gradual halt from its trot. I save a silent glance over to where my Archery Instructor was coming from, clapping his hands enthusiastically with a wide grin across his face.

Despite the man's great façade, I could see the dark haze the emanated around the man when he spoke, "Exemplary work, Princess! Soon you will have the castle archers beat."

My stone expression never shifted a muscle, "I request more arrows for practice, atilliator." my voice hissed out the orders, referring to his position rather than his actual name.

The instructor twitched up an eyebrow, "Ah, but I think that is enough work for today. You must have such a busy schedule since your coronation is only two months away." The dark shadow persisted around him as he spoke further, "I cannot believe the young miss is finally turning eighteen! I am so excited to see that crown be passed down to you. Now go on."

I spared no words for the lying man as I began to dismount. My private guard came by and offered his hand carefully to me, and so I took it as I slipped onto the ground. My thin heels took a quick impact to the dry earth while my violet dress flopped into the settling dust. I sighed when I fruitlessly attempted to pat it out before the guard lead me away from the castle's archery ring. The sun that illuminated the courtyard disappeared as I stepped through the grand oak doors, into the marble corridors. Only gentle flames lit the way in the empty hall, leaving only the guard and I to walk. His metal armor creaking with each motion and my clacking heels to fill the corridor. Of course, the guard had a partner pokemon who clung to his shoulder.

A small Oshawott. Its snow white head slightly against the Guard's helmet as it drifted into its afternoon nap.

"You seemed like you were having fun out there," the man lied uneasily with his honey voice.

I scoffed to him, "hardly."

"Do ever you have any sort of fun when you participate in such events, Princess?"

"Touya, you may stop speaking to me so formally, we have known each other since we were children and I know this is not how you speak usually."

The man sighed as if I was supposed to understand after a few moments had passed. his helmet covering his face delicately as the subject slowly transitioned the topics, "Well, at least when you were riding Zebstrika you seemed moderately satisfied. Which is a rare sight of the Princess."

"Hmph. Zebstrika are so boring though, " I retorted with only my honest truth, "I would rather ride something of a more exciting caliber."

Touya's deep voice rumbled with a laugh, "Like what? My father's old Samuraut?"

Both he and I flinched as the man mentioned his father. My eyes squeezing tightly to repress the images. Touya balled up his silver-plated cloves as his cynical joke struck back at him. "I-I humbling apologize for bringing the former commander into discussion."

"Yes. Yes." I replied truthfully, "It was a mistake to bring him up."

It was almost ten years ago, when I experienced my first castle raid. It was almost ten years ago when the former guard captain surrendered his life to protect the royal family. Back then, I was just so confused. When I was eight, I didn't know the truth. And now that I'm almost eighteen, the truth still eludes me. No one would explain the raids. Not just that night, but the many that followed. Since that raid nearly ten years ago, the Palace Guard has had no captain until his son would be old enough to replace him. And very soon, Touya would have been taking his place. Though to ever bring up any event of that night around me was forbidden by the king.

To that day, I still experienced horrifying nightmares of the raid. Glinting emerald feline eyes. The fire crawling up gold tapestry. The beaten and bloodied bodies. Touya's dirtied face as he shut me away, the dark fog that engulfed him. It was a miracle we both survived that night. Now a days, I would be escorted to a royal safe room before I could see any damage.

"So what pokemon would you rather have as your steed, Princess?"

My lungs filled with a shaken breath. I cracked a slight smile with bitterness pulling it back to the cold expression I held so strong, "A Sawsbuck would be the only pokemon to ever fit my tastes. I request one _immediately_."

"A Sawsbuck? Those creatures are too feral to ever bring into the Palace, Touko!"

My head snapped towards him, my long dark hair flipping to the sides as I stared to him in awe. I couldn't help but to feel a true smile creeping onto my lips.

"Ah! Ah! Princess! It was a mistake, I will not ever make such a fault again, _Princess_!" he began rambling like Touya would. He had so much to uphold, following in his father's footsteps. Sometimes it would be so much, he'd slip up. Like so. And I couldn't help but to begin giggling, my hand daintily gracing over my mouth to hold back a laugh. And my personal guard, Touya took no hesitation to notice, "Is that a laugh, Princess? Is the princess actually _laughing_?"

I spun around quickly and attempted to calm myself, and failing, "Why yes it is. You happen to be amusing when you are actually yourself, _Sir_ Touya." And at my addressing of him so formally, he couldn't help to start laughing a long with me. It felt good for a moment.

Something true was between the both of us for those brief moments.

But soon it was all swept away as another man our age bustled around the corner, his sharp eyebrows pushed together behind his metal-rimmed classes. In his arms were stacks of organized files as he rounded to meet us, "There you are, Touko!" the man with midnight blue hair addressed me so casually as his silver eyes landed on Touya and me. "I have been searching this entire castle for you!"

"I was in the archery ring, Cheren."

His entire face scrunched together with anger, it was almost amusing as he seemed on the verge of a conniption. His voice began to roar like a Druddigon that only skilled people, like myself, could decipher, "Why weren't you following the schedule I gave you? Why do you never follow my schedules? They aren't _suggestions_. They are-"

"Boring." I answered plainly, my humored expression falling back like a feather slowly drowning in a still pond. "All you ever have me do is sit around through lessons and such, Cheren. I mean, my very own coronation is approaching very soon and I am not even allowed to choose the flowers used?"

My advisor exhaled, his reddened face slowly returned to its cream colored tint. "You are aware that your moth- the Queen makes all those decisions. Not I."

My nose cringed at her mention, "I am _well_ aware. Why have you been looking for me." I demanded in a flat tone, not even posing it as a question.

"Well, your mother has finally bestowed you a task for something involving your coronation. So if you just come with me," he began hesitantly as a lying darkness took over, "I promise it will be fun."

My eyebrows shifted up just the slightest, I didn't need any special ability to see how he nervously pulled at the ruffled collar of his Shakespearian shirt. How his voice naturally rose and his eyes shifted off to his left. Liars look left. Or my right really. But I had no room to complain about fun, as it was a task given to me by _the Queen_.

"Fine, fine. Let us get this over with," I drawled. And so the three of us twisted around the palace, one my brain had created a perfect map of after all the years of exploring. Following. Running. Being scolded for running. It was after a few twists here and turns there when the three of us arrived at a pair of carven doors. Etched in was the iconic family crest which snapped in half as Cheren pushed the doors open. The illuminating crystal chandelier above throwing about the licking flame lights about the room brightly. As my eyes fell upon what awaited me, my head rolled over to hold a strong glare towards my advisor who flinched at my gaze.

"I already knew the plan wasn't going to be fun, but this?" my voice hissed angrily.

In all honesty, my advisor spoke, "My apologies, Touko. But Her Majesty ordered me to get you here and I must not disobey an order." a black smog enveloped him. One where I knew it wasn't just to follow orders, but one to selfishly aid himself. "I had not a clue about what awaited, _honestly_."

My thin fingers balled up, fine nails pressing into my skin. I hated it. I hated it when people lied and used the word "honestly" in such a disgusting form. "If you are now going to address that woman as Her Majesty now, then you should address me in such formalities also."

"Princess?"

"Her highness." I spat, finally shooting my glance to what was waiting me.

A line of well-dressed, and most probably, high-pedigree courters.

Five men with tailored suits of all array of colors, standing with pride pulled back in their tall statures. One was to be my husband, who would successes the throne and one who would I would be married to by my coronation.

You see, I had no true power in the court.

I was a handoff to another man to follow my father.

Carefully I walked down the line, examining each man for what he was worth. All seemed to follow a strict pattern. 5'9" with slicked dark-shaded hair. Their angled jaws ready to cut like a sword strongly similar to one another. The only possible difference were their eyes. It seems Mother had already weeded through the rest, giving me her pick.

I began at the very end of the line, nodding for him to begin his introduction. The boy's blood eyes glinted with readiness, "My name is Red Firedan, third son of Kanto's Firedan line," so far he was truthful about who he was, but that would not last as his lying began. And so did my detestation. "We met when we were just children at a ball your father threw eight years ago. You loved dancing back then with all who attended."

"I can't say I recall attending any ball of the sorts." And so thus I came down to the next one who waited in line with over-confident golden eyes.

He grinned widely to me, "Ethan Goldrin, fifth son of Johto. A pleasure, Your highness." A dark cloud cast over him, "Must I say, you look so much more beautiful than what the wind told to my castle!"

"Hm." I hummed moving to the one beside Ethan Goldrin. A boy with dark brown hair, wearing an odd hat like white hair of a hood.

He politely bowed to me with a soft smile, "I am Brendan Enderruby, second son to the Hoenn crown, a pleasure."

"Keeping it simple?"

"Must I be extravagant?" and so the untruthful words began to pour, "It is already an honor to be in _this_ castle, in the presence of a kindhearted lady as yourself." I rolled my eyes to the man who almost wasn't horrid in my eyes until he continued speaking. I moved to the next, his hair so black it was nearly blue like my advisor's.

"Greetings, your highness, my name is Lucas Diamondrich. From Sinnoh, seventh heir to the throne there." His clear eyes softened as he stared at me with a content smirk painted across his face. A smog hissing around him, "When I first heard you were of eligible age, I came immediately, believing it was the perfect time to unite our kingdoms."

"What a noble notion." I spoke in monotone, pacing to the fifth and final man standing in line.

I nodded for his introduction. The man with raven hair gave a seductive smirk, which hadn't amused me, before he suddenly fell onto one knee. With his left hand, he swept up my right and smooched it gently, "They call me Calem Legendrex, mademoiselle, " his low voice purred. I can not tell a lie, a vibrant heat flew across my face at the action as my heart flittered about my chest. But all those feelings were quickly sunk as the twisted words came, "I am extremely rich and would pamper you to your hearts desire if you were to be my bride."

My hand quickly snapped away from him, my nose trying not to wrinkle up in disgust at the man in front of me. At each one of men in front of me, I felt a bubbling disgust. But my face quickly fell into a stone expression, one that no one had ever been able to pass through. I held no formalities as I turned form the room, I dared not even utter a farewell to the courters as I strode out of the room. Touya quickly followed behind me in silence as we both heard my advisor calling out to us. Neither of us reacted as he continued to walk forward.

"They seemed," The guard started as we were far from earshot, "regal."

"They were all horrid."

We had no place to go, just wandering aimlessly as my stomach still bubbled up inside. "You are as blunt as usual. What was wrong with them?"

"They are _liars_."

I heard the man sigh heavily at my response, "They only said two things each. How could you already tell they were liars from something so short?"

My balled up fists trembled slightly as the golden tapestry seemed to whisk from the cutting wind I created by just walking. "They just lied. In short introductions. Doesn't that say anything about their characters? How could I ever imagine _marrying_ a liar?" I questioned angrily, walking at a brisker pace that had Touya rushing close behind. "If someone lies, then they are not fit to rule a country. If someone ever lies, they are manipulating others in they're own advantage and turn themselves into monsters. I refuse to let a monster rule my home."

"Touko."

"What?"

"Look at me. Listen."

So I turned to face the man, his helmet removed to reveal his tousled chocolate hair slowly settling. His Oshawott stared intensely at me was the silence lurked in the cast shadows between us. Touya's dark, earthy eyes held everything together for just the ticking seconds.

"Everybody lies."

"I do not."

His eyes narrowed for a moment as he grasped my wrist, "Then you're lying to your self."

"Unhand me!" I swiftly tore my hand away from him with a snarl, "You are wrong, _guard_! So, so wrong."

"Then other than _you_ , who else doesn't lie?" he retorted, pacing only closer. He didn't show a hint of the lying black cloud, but just staring at him made me feel angered. Like tearing something apart.

I took two steps back, curling my hands closer to my heart, "No one here, that is for sure. But _out there_. In the world. In the Land of Unova, the people have nothing to gain from lying. Their lives must be beautiful, simple. Because they do not lie."

"You've fooled yourself, Touko."

"You may not refer to me by that name anymore!" I snapped ironically. Just awhile ago, I had been almost ordering him to speak to me informally. He and I held a long lasting stare. As my eyes swam in his chocolate ones, the memories came back like lightning striking my heart. The explosions from the raids. All the dead. How he grabbed me so forcefully with that grim expression. The lasting blackness that engulfed him before he locked me away.

He was a liar too.

His lips began to part, to form more words. And I just saw the hint of a black smoke. Before his foul words could reach my ears, I took off down the halls. My ankles twisting with each stride, my heart beating with so much. One was a fear of my heels snapping at any moment. The lace of my royal gown would catch occasionally, slipping beneath my shoes as I started to stumble. I just kept running until I reached my room. The white-wood doors were easily thrown open as I shoved myself in, quick to slam the doors behind.

"Toukie?"

I hadn't needed to look up to know that my maid was awaiting me in the room. A girl my age with unruly, cropped, blonde hair to her chin. She was most likely wearing a shapeless black dress to her ankles with a torn apron tied around the waist loosely.

My hands trembled against the back of my door, eyes set on my long dark-oak floors. "I'm sick of it," I whispered, not knowing if it was to her or myself. "I am so sick of this all the lies. All the people. All the liars. And I am sick of this castle which traps me within this drowning deception. I want it all to just stop." My rage strangled itself, as if I was too angry to even shout.

My body just collapsed. My head curling close to my shoulders as I shuttered. For all my life, I'd only seen people lie, due to my ability. People are disgusting. Horrid. Ugly. No matter how beautiful some may be on the outside, they would lie and become something I can not stand.

But it was only because I was in the castle. In the castle, everyone wanted power and money so they lie to achieve those twisted goals. They used others.

And I was the only one who knew. That's what I thought.

A clumsy stumbling girl flew to my side, her icy hands resting on my shoulders carefully, "Toukie, are you alright? What happened?" Her genuine voice of worry was only matched with the slightest hint of fear. I looked up to her carefully, trying not to show the welling tears behind my hands. Bianca, a girl I had known since we were just children, looked down with me with her jewel eyes. On her shoulder sat a Minccino that Bianca's mother gifted her when she was promoted to a maid within the castle from my royal playmate.

But we don't speak of her mother anymore.

She disappeared two years ago, when Bianca and I were just fifteen, in a large castle raid.

"No. I am not alright. I am sick. Very, very, very sick of everything." I confided to my assigned best friend. Though I knew Bianca was still shaken by her mother's disappearance. That she was handpicked by my mother to watch over me as a spy. Yes, that is her true position, I figured it out long ago. The peasant was still the closest thing I had to a friend in the entire castle. "I am sick of this _life_ , Bianca."

Her hands slowly retracted, the grey-furred creature with large eyes blinked to me with caution. "What do you mean?" Bianca asked as if the words were poison in her mouth.

We were all silent in the royal bedroom. By body slowly moving to just be slumping over itself as the words began to slip towards her, "You remember how I used to talk of wanting to run away? Tonight. I want to run. And this time, I am."

The girl quickly retracted away from me, "Toukie, that's utterly crazy! I can't allow that. I must-"

"Bianca," my broken song crackled as I looked to her pathetically, "I've known for awhile that my mother hired you to report my actions and thoughts to her. And despite that horrid act, if you ever thought of me as a friend, please- just help me this once. I just want to run."

"But, Touko..." Her voice was confused, conflicted as she looked to me tiredly. Her teeth nibbled at her peach lips as she finally breathed, "Fine. But if you _really_ want to make it out, you _must_ change you're attire. And Touko would be too much of a giveaway to who you are- and, you're hair..."

"What about it?"

"... It must be cut."

My fingers instinctively flew to my head, interlocking with the many threads of hair, "No! I refuse to cut my hair!"

Bianca's face grew flat as she looked tiredly to me, "It will give you a few more months of hiding-"

"I do not care, Bianca! I will not!"

Her hands slowly rose in defense, her eyes beginning to tremble as I rose my voice. "Fine, fine. Let us prepare you for leaving."

It passed in such a blur after that. Bianca had first showed me through the hidden servant passages I had not ever had a clue about in my life. It only broke my heart further to know there were always more secrets and lies I had not known about for the entirety of my life. Soon, we arrived to her dismal quarters, dirt floors and a stiff seeming cot which I sat on as Bianca showed me an array of bland splotches of cloth called clothes.

By the end, we had a dark blue, nearly denim looking, skirt to my toes with white patches here and there that began to fray. A white peasants blouse with a scoop neck wrapped by tight black vest, held shut by wooden buttons. All the materials were scratchy and irritating, making me want to rip it all off, but I had to wear them if I truly wanted out.

Bianca put her final touch on my outfit, her lips piercing together as she settled a white biggin cap just perfectly fitting my head, "perfect..." She breathed, taking a subtle step back to admire her work. Her emerald eyes shot up to meet mine as she smiled truly, "Are you ready? We must get you to the stables, I have to let out the Zebstrika out to the pastures anyways. There, you will take a one and run, in whatever direction the wind is blowing. Once you reach a town, stop on the edge and release Zebstrika and find a new steed. Then keep running until you are far from the castle reach."

As I swept up a dirtied, cream cloak that tore at the tail, I cocked my head to my friend, "how do you know so much about running?" I breathed to her lightly, a lace of sadness infecting the words.

She pushed the next servant's door open and kept her gaze straight into the darkness of the thick night, "Intuition." She lied so fluidly with the same, constant, dark air specific to her. My eyes carefully narrowed towards her back as I silently lurked in her shadow as the two of us raced through the ends of the castle, through the ever gardens. The tall peasant riding boots that fell concave to my narrow feet nearly flopped off, but there was something more comfortable about them than the thin heels from before. The crisp autumn night sent small trembles down my back as my maid easily threw open the stable doors, the moon's silver light casting across the Zebstrika. The creatures all swung their heads around to face us, their heads starting to swing about wildly.

The herd weren't tied down by anything as they all charged at us, my arms flying up in defense as they came with the thundering hooves to match their lightning manes. But they seemed to know our presence and formed around us, careful to make any wrong move. My head slowly turned up to watch the blonde easily reach up and snatch a Zebstrika by its halter.

the extravagant creature was so large, like a Girafagrig was painted with the stripes of a Zebstrika, it loomed over us two women. It reared up onto its back hooves and let out a sky-shattering neigh into the night. My maid was swift to pull the beast back down, hushing stern commands to it. She turned to me sharply, "You must ride bareback, will you be okay with this? You can just turn back now."

I shook my head, the loose curls from my high ponytail fell to shape around my face, "I shall ride bareback, if it is what I must do to escape."

The woman nodded, offering her hands for a way onto the steed. Though I gave a wave off as I tugged my fingers into the Zebstrika's mane, pulling with all my strength as I flung my right leg over the side the beast. It kicked in the back quickly with the sudden weight plopping down, but once I was on- I was on. My hands naturally formed to the creature, ready to pull on it's coarse mane in any direction I need to go. The steed rippled its muscles in a readiness to gallop, but not yet.

"Toukie- go by your middle name." the maid said quietly before we even left the stable.

"Go by Albion? But it is such a masculine name! How absurd for me to go by something so gruff."

Her face fell flat, "It will shelter you."

"Can't I go by something _else_?" I pressed, eyebrows furrowed together. "Like, by the name meaning. _White_. White Albion, yes I quite like that name."

"Fine, fine," the blonde quickly ushered, her eyes darting around as if time was of the essence. It was, but she seemed even further paranoid about it. "One last thing."

"Yes?"

"Take Minccino."

I felt taken aback, blinking to my old childhood friend owlishly, "But... You two have been together for years, I cannot take something so precious-"

Her head shoot sadly, the grey creature looking to me with a simpering smile, "she is not a something. She is a someone. Out there, it's going to be rougher than it seems from here and you'll need someone out there to protect you. I'll be fine, so take her along with you." despite any protest I would make, the creature with the largest ears I had ever seen silently leapt over onto my shoulder, snuggling close as if to reassure the decision I hadn't even made. When I was younger, looking at the little creature from afar, I always imagined its fur would be matted and grimy.

But I realized, it was like the silk of an angel's feather brushing against my cheek. I gave the little creature a small scratch under the chin, smiling just the slightest as the creature stuck its neck out even farther in enjoyment. And finally, I yanked my tattered hood over my head, stealing a glance to my maid one last time with a farewell smile painted to my cheeks, "Tell no one, okay?"

"Okay."

She was lying.

"At least wait three days, that is all I ask. And lie to protect yourself, I know you are good at that."

She genuinely shot me sad eyes, "alright."

She spoke the truth.

I turned to face the road ahead, not even able to hold a stare with my old friend. Fake or not. "And Bianca," my lip quivered as every possibility came to me. Being caught. Being found. Being free. My future was never going to be the same if I sent forward, "thank you," finally I was able to turn back to her, not a single tear in my eye as I hushed, "for everything."

She had no time to say anything, or I have myself not a second more to listen. My legs snapped against the Zebstrika who grunted loudly before breaking out into an immediate canter. It was a miracle that my hood stayed up as my fingers dug deeper into the steed's black mane. Into the night. Into my new future. Soon, the warm flames of the castle of lies was a distant echo into the embracing darkness ahead. My new traveling companion clung tightly to my cloak, small beads of water splashing against my cheek. Leaving its master must have been difficult.

But to me, nothing mattered anymore about what was in my past. Just what would come next.

As we rode into the direction that the wind was blowing that crystal night. The crystal that would glaze over the fantasy and nightmare I would live all at once soon.

But crystal shatters so easily.


	3. Chapter 3

An icy wind ran over my skin and danced through my hair, filling my lungs with a bitter chill as the even strides of my steed bounced me in a rhythmic lull. Despite how I had struggled to keep my eyes open, the beating of hooves against the winter earth was like subtle drum beats pulling me to sleep. My shivering breath echoed into the day as my fingers barely kept me on the Zebstrika, my legs given up holding me half way through the night before. My body was slouched against the reaching neck of the muscular striped creature.

I couldn't tell the time of day, just that a bland light seeped past my eyelids. A slight warmth from the glowing sun just skimming over me as we continued. I lost the time since I took off from the castle, everything around me just a bur as I look to the road ahead. Which wasn't much of anything but a winding dirt trail we barely fit on as the tree branches reached out to snatch me back. Never once did I stop, never once had I seen a town yet since we took the back end way out of the Capital City.

But as luck would have it, through a tired haze, a small smog of buildings began to spring up once Zebstrika and I broke through the forest. My posture slowly regained itself as I forced a squint to the rustically built things. My nose wrinkled up easily as I saw how small it all really was, _this was a village?_ I thought to myself as we started to pull down to a trot, gradually falling to a walk as we approached a man who stood at the town's entrance.

"Hold to the gates," the crotchety man gargled. He was in almost black garb, his hunch unmistakable as his layered cloaks only made it pop further. Not a single hair stood on his leathery skin once I pulled to a full halt at the man. I could look down and see the aging spots across his face, years pulling down his face in waves. Grime sunk between each wrinkle and crusted over his draping clothes. He looked to me with empty eyes, "Name."

"... Why?"

"Procedure, 'Mam." He snapped, curling his lips to bare only a few crooked teeth, ones that were yellow as a marigold with worm-like divots. I could smell his halitosis from where I was, trying to hold the urge of vomiting at his very appearance. "Name."

"... _White Albion_."

"State your business in Victory Plateau."

My head leaned off to the side to look deeper into the village. Few people roaming like ghosts as tiny pokemon scuttered across the open spaces sometimes. Other than that, seemed dead. Looked far from being any sort of victory. I turned back to the man, hesitant to even hold a stare with him and his grotesque appearance, "I am passing through on travel. I might stay the night if there are any," the peasant word escaped my mind for a moment, just skimming at the tip of tongue as I looked to the man.

His nose which was too large for his face sniffed, "The inn's just South from here, to the left of the Butchers. If you see the bakery, you've gone too far." the man's voice hissed in a rushed monotone. "Now _get_ ," the gatekeeper rushed, nodding his head into the village briskly before scribbling onto some curled old parchment with a quill.

I nodded to him carefully in acknowledgment as I gave my steed a swift kick into the stomach to motion it forward. Once into the town, I took note of the people bustling to and fro the town. Most with small pokemon on their shoulders or helping them out with work. Looking through a wide glass window, I saw a burly man slamming a hammer against some sort of metal being held against a stone anvil. Behind him a strange creature I've only seen in my textbooks blew fire into a large stone forge. Its long snout roaring out the flames as its red tail flattened out with its slender yet curved body. Heatmor, if I recalled correctly, was its name. Surrounding them were dozens of different weapons, glinting in the warm light.

Gazing to the next shoppe, I saw an aging woman. Her dark hair turning a silver at the roots was tied up into a casual bun as she bustled around. In her hands were all sorts of bubbling liquids and potions that she placed here and there. A pokemon in the background was focusing for a brief moment before releasing a plume of spores from its mushroom shaped hands into a wood bowl. Its white eyes opened with what looked to be boredom but it seemed to clap over to the shopkeeper who hurred over with a joy, rubbing the creatures pink and white plume top. The pokemon was an Amoonguss, if I had to guess.

We continued through the village quietly, a few of the peasants turning up to look as I rode through but most just carried on through their days. From my hood, I felt a slight shutter before the grey Minccino burst for from where it was sleeping. Its little body shaking out as the creature crawled out and perched itself on top of my shoulder. I shot the pokemon a glance before continuing to ride through.

It wasn't long though until it leapt onto the ground, prancing towards something that caught its attention. I let out a light sigh and gave Zebstrika a slight jab in the sides to trop behind to catch up. It grunted but followed suit quickly. It was easy to find the little cleaning-pokemon standing against a windowsill, paws pressed up against the glass with glittering eyes. I looked to what the Minccino was admiring, my nose twitching at what it was. A gaudy looking stone, possibly amethyst, with bone plating. The necklace was decorated with avian feathers and berry painted colors.

I stole a further glance into the store to see a man and woman moving throughout the store. They weaved between one another like a perfect team as their strange clothes draped over them. The garb were made of what looked to be Deerling or Bouffalant hide. Their oddly reddish tanned skin different from a farmers. Both had dark, dark hair like the inky night. Moving about the store with them were two small little pokemon, known to the area. One with ruffled white feathers and a grey body, Rufflet. The other was like a bird that hadn't finished hatching from its egg, pink skin looking like bare and eerie, it was a Vullaby. The two people finished up, meeting in the center of the shop, dark eyes meeting each other as they smiled with a loving content.

My eyes shut softly as I began to remember the history lessons Cheren would bore me through. Before Kalos sent people to colonize Unova, there was already a native people living on the land. Nomads which traveled across all of Unova with the changing of the wind, as it was said. _Denovians_ was what we called them. They were a strange people with odd cultures. Many of them were killed during the great battle between the first kings of Unova since they had lived in the barren lands that were ravaged. Now a days, the few lines of the people who were left had adjusted to the new style of life.

About the colonists who came and claimed the land and royal family have Kalos descent, but we see ourselves as _Unovians_. Ones born in Unova, but not Denovians.

Denovians usually follow their old cultures and pray to their deities, but lived amongst the other peasants.

Denovians are not treated fairly though, that I knew for sure.

It was easy to notice here as I saw the bruise run up the woman's arm. The gash across the man's face. How the store seemed full to the brim of items but no customers in sight. The passing peasants around seemed to move like there was a bubble around the Denovian shoppe.

In the time I stared, I was soon spotted by the woman within. Her head turned to look at me swiftly with wide eyes, the man's head slowly following his wife's (or so I presumed). He turned onto a slight offensive, but the woman slapped his arm just lightly like a playful smack. She looked back at me, her long and loose raven hair falling delicately around her body. Her full yet perfectly fitting lips pulled widely into a greeting smile. Her eyes met mine carefully as she began to make her way to the door. The greeting bell chimed as she stepped outside, her leather shoes scuffed from the dirt made their way closer to me.

"Good day, miss," her melodic voice hushed with the slightest accent I just couldn't pinpoint. It was not formal tongue nor peasant tone either. "You were peering into our store, is there anything that has piqued your interest?"

Minccino pointed and cried out to the necklace as soon as the woman stopped speaking, earning a stare from both the Denovian and I. The lady laughed and went over to ruffle the creature's fur right between the ears.

"So you like the necklace! Well, I believe this one is just a tad too large for you, _Ayashe_. But I think we may just have one your size in stock, if you would care to come in and see." She breathed quietly, looking to me kindly. Minccino stared up to me with the largest pleading eyes, its lower lip quivering with a beg.

My shoulder slouched, shooting a glance around as I felt the heavy stares of passerbys. I shuttered them off carefully, more confused about what she had called Minccino. "I guess a few minutes of looking around will not hurt." She smiled to me, offering a callus hand to assist me from Zebstrika. I brushed it away though and slid from my mount easily. Right as my legs bent to catch me on the ground, the night of riding suddenly struck in my knees and hips. I cringed at the soreness but pretended as if it weren't there.

The Denovian cared not that I pushed her offer to the side as she pulled one of her many leather belts from her roping clothes. With one end, she tied around Zebstrika's halter and the other around a small wooden post just by the shoppe door. Minccino was already rushing in when the Denovian pulled the door open for me, her smile still not faltering as her eyes tracked me when I went in. The little grey furball rushed around, gazing at all the glittering jewelry. Sniffing at the hides curiously before leaping back.

I stood in the store, just watching Minccino run about. The two Denovian's staring at me. I gave them a crooked look carefully, "Yes?"

"Are you gonna look at anything?" the male's voice rumbled with hostility, his arms crossing his chest as he took in a thick breath.

The woman jestingly slapped him again, " _Tika_!" her accent fell heavy on the name before shifting closer to a peasant's. "Can't you see who this girl is?"

I froze. _Could I have been that obvious?_ Fear fell into my bones as my feet already started to move closer to the door.

"Should I?" the man, Tika, responded.

"Gah! You are blind," she told him before looking to me. "You are _Ska_. White!" Her voice pronounced the word with a wind to it, pulling the ending with a 'ha' sound.

I blinked for a moment towards the strange Denovian woman. She had known the fake me? That was far from possible, "White Albion is _indeed_ my name..." I muttered quietly. It was the truth. It just was not my full name.

"Really? What a coincidence!" she laughed airily as her Rufflet pecked at her hand, shooting a stare at me also. "See? Even Onsi can see, Tika." driving her attention back to me she smiled, "Your _soul_ is white, I mean. You are very special, Miss White."

I had no way to respond to the woman for I hadn't a clue what she had said. "I do not understand..." I looked to her for a name.

"Oh, my name is Namid." She nodded before motioning to the man beside her, "And this is my beloved, Tika." The two little bird pokemon ran across the floor between us, Minccino running after them playfully with a slight tackle to barrel into the two. "And they are Onsi and Liluye. Or, as you call them, Rufflet and Vullaby."

The man, by the name Tika, stared at his wife and then to me, squinting carefully as wrinkles formed in the corners of his eyes. The jagged scar down his face bunching in as he examined me, almost like comparing my worth to an item, " _She_ is Ska?"

"Indeed! Now, I shall get the necklace for Ayashe." The beautiful woman, Namid, quickly bustled away into the back room, pushing back leather curtains before disappearing. Leaving with Tika and the pokemon.

I took in a heavy breath and built up a stone expression as I watched the pokemon run about in silence. My posture was held perfect as the man beside me slouched. "Why does she call my pokemon 'Ayashe'?" I finally asked.

"It is one of the names that means 'little one' to us." Tika answered bluntly; the use of _us_ refering the Denovians.

"I see."

"I'm gonna guess you don't understand 'Ska' either."

"I do not."

Tika turned to me, his long black hair braided over his shoulder still slipped out into his face slightly. His tightened jaw not moving as he harshly stood. " _Sapa_ and _Ska_ ," the words pulled out with the wind in his voice saying Sahpah and Skah as his dark brown eyes hazed over, "A very old legend carried by my people. It is not important to the likes you." His eyes scrunched together once more, but not in examination. Almost a pity, " but _if_ my beloved is correct, you are destined for great things."

I searched for a lie, there was none.

Finally, Nemid returned. In her hands was a fair piece of jewelry carefully held in her hands. She hustled over to where Minccino played and smiled wonderfully, " _Ayashe_! I have your necklace." The grey furred pokemon stopped, swinging around with its ears flopping around. Nemid gracefully knelt down to the pokemon, her tasseled clothes slimming the wooden floors as she clipped the necklace around the creatures. Pulling back, Minccino gazed mystically at what was around its throat. With small bone plating, a polished amethyst stone the size of my pinkynail was held. Two baby feathers were clipped to each side of the jewel carefully.

"That is fourteen silver, _White Albion_ ," Tika told me, extending his hand in waiting.

I crooked my head at him, "For what?"

"The necklace."

"That costs money?" I asked, taken a back by the thought. I had gotten everything I wanted back at the castle at the clap of my hands. Rarely did I want anything, but that had never coasted me money. So it never occurred to me I would need it on my run. "I do not have any..."

Tika's face contorted with confusion, his nasty gash curling up with anger, "You don't have _money_?"

Nemid quickly rushed over with her bright smile, "It is alright, Tika! We will just give it to you, Ska. It is not like it would affect our stock..."

The Denovian man swiveled his head towards his wife but, in fear of another slap, he just sighed and accepted that they would make nothing. Nemid smiled with delight as she clapped her hands around mine.

"It was an hon-" her eyes full of a kindness and joy suddenly drown away in a darkness. Her elated smile crumbling away to an almost horror. A single bead of water ran down her cheek followed by another. And another. Her voice suddenly becoming tight as she spoke, "I am sorry. I am _so_ sorry, Ska. I-I-I am deeply sorry."

My hands yanked back from the crying woman, my feet already moving backwards as I held my gaze with hers, "What are you speaking of?"

Her head shook carefully, the turquoise earing she wore becoming entangled with strands of hair, "Destiny is very cruel. I am so _sorry_."

As if by timing, a small girl peaked out from the back room. her big eyes shimmered while her wild, untamable looking hair fell down to her ankles, "A customer? Why is mamma crying? Did person do bad?"

Tika looked back to the girl, "Go back into your room _Iris_ , everything is alright. Mamma just had a vision."

The little girl made an 'o' with her mouth and only came closer, a small Axew following at her feet.

"I have to go," I answered, feeling an overwhelming burden cast on me as they spoke of destiny and visions. The three people just stared at me like I was an object. Confusion was just overwhelming I quickly turned by back to the Denovian family as I hurried out. Minccino felt my rush and quickly followed suit. Once out the door, I was already untying Zebsrika from the post and we were off and walking towards the inn at a brisk pace.

From behind me, I heard a door swing open and a child's voice cry with an innocent joy, "Take care, Miss! And may the dragons watch over you!"

My face sunk further into my cloak while I pulled the hood farther over my eyes. I pretended as if I hadn't heard her and continued walking to the inn.

The sun was already starting to fall into the horizon when I did arrive. There was a small stable at the inn where they housed and sold steeds. All they had were irritated Bouffalants and steel-coated Durants. Nothing that interested me, so I decided I would stick with Zebstrika until the next town. The stables there were free to keep steeds so I quickly tied the pokemon up and rushed to the inn.

Once through the front doors, I saw people dressed in all sorts of peasants clothes dancing around the room. Drinks being passed on round wooden trays in large frothing mugs by usually a blonde woman in a tight corset. Burly men sat around large tables, creating a loud uproar as their fur vests barely stretched to stay on. Thinner men wore what looked like the same itchy fabric I wore as shirts and pantaloons. Musicians played flutes and fiddles in a corner, their squeaking tunes falling into the rest of the sounds around.

I weaved my way through the bumbling men, my hood down with my cloak parted just slightly as I walked through. Male voices would call out to me, their words sending chills down my spine as I continued to look for a check-in desk of sorts. A stray hand wrapping around my chest, causing me flush red as I just pushed farther past. Something had touched my butt and when I spun around there was a horrid looking pan, his rounded face sweaty as his eyes filled with lust, "Sorry, my mistake." He slurred out, smelling of cheap alcohol I used to smell in the kitchens. Around him was a thick black haze that gave my stomach knots.

"That was _not_ a mistake." I snarled as I pulled far away from the man. A woman who tended to the men with drinks, rolled her eyes to a man coming onto her. Our eyes meeting for a quick moment as I expressed my pity through expression. Then I had made it to a sort of check-in desk at last.

A shrewd looking man wearing a tight striped vest was scribbling in thick books at the desk. He shot me only a short glace over the top of his oval glasses before looking back intently on what he worked on. "Sleeping in the Commons is free but The Prancing Ponyta Inn is not responsible for any loses, injuries or invasive actions you may experience. Private quarters are three-hundred silver a night. Ones with _locks_ are three-hundred and fifty."

"That much?" I squawked out, even Minccino on my shoulder cringing at my piercing voice. My eyes moved towards the uproarious crowd of liars and drunks with a rise of my nose, to even think of having to spend the night in the commons with people like them. I shuttered at the thought as I looked back to the man. I hadn't even had a copper on me, and I refused to sleep near those ruffians.

"We are the only village between the Capital and Opelucid, many come through. Few stay." He answered bluntly with an irritation picking at his tone.

A man shoved beside me, the hair on the back of my neck beginning to stand on end from his very presence. "You need some help, little lady?" the gruff voice chuffled with a sort of peasant drawl I had never heard within the castle. I looked at the man, he wasn't as shady as the others that were in the area. A dark scruff across his angled jawline, floppy brown curls that fell past his ears, a buff and built structure but not too much to seem like a giant. His clothes were though much darker than everyone elses, a black cloak with a fresh point to the ends. Thick dark hide making his leather armor that stretched finely across him with a combat dagger sheathed, but far from being hidden. Just beside the man floated a golden mask engulfed by a sort of black smog. But not one of a liar, like one of a pokemon. My eyes squinted as I tried to recall what it was called again.

A Yamask.

My head flipped away from him, "Why yes, but I don't need any help from _you_." I replied tiredly, giving an emotionless face no matter where I was directed towards.

He laughed with a hardy bellow from the bottom of his stomach. The sound of coins clattering echoed onto the desk. Once I looked back, I saw a worn away draw-string pouch that the Innkeeper carefully opened to examine. Both our eyes widened at the glimmering golden coins filled to the brim, pushing their way out. Sure I had seen much more gold before, but for a man in such a village, it was a shock. "Two separate rooms with locks, good sir." his voice ordered.

The innkeeper nodded, quickly counting out the money with a glint of a green greed as his lips curled up into a smile, "Names of patrons?"

"Richard Turpin and..." the man motioned to me for my name, catching me slightly off guard.

Taking in a breath I carefully enunciated my name with practice, "White Albion."

The innkeeper quickly collected the money, grudgingly giving back the man's change, before he scratched the names in ink to one of his books. He slid us two keys then waved us off, leaving me and the man to our own affairs.

I looked at the paying person crookedly, "I guess I should be thanking you..."

"I guess you should!" the man by Richard Turpin laughed, "And how you'll replay me... you'll have to be my company for dinner tonight."

I pulled my head back in disgust, "What? No! I _refuse_ , you were kind to me but I will not have dinner with you."

His thick eyebrows fell crookedly on his face as a sly smile crept on his lips, "Ah come now, little lady, you've gotta be hungry. I'll pay! And don't worry, I ain't like the rest of these drunks."

I puckered my face to him as if I bit into something sour as I pouted, but my stomach gave me away as it snarled above the crowd. My face immediately flushed with a red-hot embarrassment as the man started to double over laughing at me. "Fine, fine. But this is it."

He smiled charismatically before wrapping his arm over my shoulders. I tensed up completely, Minccino flicking its tail at his arm that started to push the little pokemon off. We walked through the crowd and I was quick to realize his arm wrap was to shield me from the predators lurking after with dark expressions. He took me to a back booth, curving around with a thick bunch of candles melting down like lava into a puddle onto the crusted table. The splitting leather seats cracked in all places was colored a vomit-ish brown that caused a slight gag reflex in my throat. Richard though easily slipped into the booth, motioning for me to do also with a curious look.

I reluctantly slid into the seat, looking around slightly at the room from our perspective. The area felt just the more detached from the rest of the inn, from the prowling crowd. It wasn't long until a woman made her way to us. She threw down two bowls that we never asked for along with a side of stale bread.

I observed as Richard pulled the bowl close, already shoveling what was fed to him in his mouth. He tore our loaf of bread in half, ripping his portion into small nubs. With the bread balls, Richard scooped around the bowl to pick up the meal as he swallowed it down with no manners at all.

My eyes dropped down to look at the slop. It was a grey color, filled with deformed lumps of what I couldn't even _identify_. The odor that omitted from it wasn't even close to making it better. It was a cross of uncleansed stables and rotted fruit. I cautiously picked up a slivered wooden spoon, scooping up a glob of whatever they called food close to my mouth. My lips trembled open as I let it dribble onto my tongue before I dumped it all in. _If I just swallow it quickly-_

The flavor was foul. My entire body lurched forward, my hand clasping over my mouth, as burning acid crawled up my throat and my stomach started to waltz. My throat refused to let the substance pass, but the longer it sat in my mouth the sicker I felt. It was far from the rich meats at the palace. Or the creamy dishes served. I don't think I could have even called it food.

I looked all around the table for some sort of napkin, but there was none to be found. The man stared at me as if I'd turned into a pokemon as I continued searching for something. But time was running out as I felt the empty stomach acids push up. I took the bowl and spit out the substance as graciously as one could. Slight gag and spittle dribbling out along with it. That just made me even more ill feeling.

I could always wait until the next town to eat, Pushing the bowl away slightly, I wiped away anything left around my lips with my fingers slowly before I rubbed the grime onto the leather seat. "So," I began hesitantly as if to change what had just occurred. "Richard Turpin, correct? How did you acquire so much money, if I ask?"

"No need to be so formal, little lady, you can call me Dick. My friends call me Dick Turpin." It was only for a moment but in his next sentence I swore I had seen a slight smog of a lie, "And hard work, of course. There's no other way."

I nodded slowly, eying him even closer for any sort of deception. Minccino sniffed at my bowl of substance and spittle, taking small laps from it without much care. When the pokemon hit a patch of my fluids, her body shivered before continuing to eat.

Dick Turpin nodded to me, "I saw a Zebstrika in the Stables, yours?"

I nodded once more to him.

"A real prize you got there," he continued, his eyes gazing as if through me. This time, I did see the lie as clear as the morning sun, "sure hope no one steals him."

My eyebrow rose as my voice turned to a knife, "Why would they?"

Dick shrugged, continuing to eat at his food. The night carried on between us carefully. He told me extravagant stories of his travel. Ones filled with many _embelishments_ that I was able to see immediately. _What was the point of him lying?_ I just listened, sharing little about anything. But finally, I grew too tired to continue listening to his lies. And exhaustion was finally starting to take me.

I rose from where I sat, Minccino already understanding as it crawled up beside my head. I gave a slight movement of my head to him, "If I may, I am excusing myself to my chambers. Your stories were very interesting, to say the least. Thank you for helping me, do take care."

He smiled back to me before I melted away into the crowd. The wandering hands still came that I shook off until I was finally making my way up the inn stairs to where the room lied. I looked down at the small key the innkeeper gave me, gazing at the two numbers, "02", in worn golden paint. I looked to my right to see the room waiting for me. I slipped in the iron key into the rusting lock, turning it with a lick for me to enter.

It was a dreary sight. A single bed flat as stone covered with wool covers was up against a back wall, taking up most of the room. Beside it was a single nightstand where three candles burned together as the only light. A meter of the wall was made of wood panels before crawling up to cold stone. The roof angled down towards the bed's head, the roof truss stretching out to keep the grey ceiling from caving in. Minccino jumped from my shoulder, already nestling itself at the foot of the bed comfortably, asleep in an instant.

I let out a tired exhale, locking the door behind me as I pulled my tried body over to the bed. I drew off my cloak, throwing it easily onto the bedframe. I unbuttoned my black vest-shaped corset, finally able to _breathe_ as I placed it along with the cape. I was left along in my white dress, now like a nightgown after I undid the blue overskirt. My body gently swayed down to the bed so I could remove my boots, leaving them there as I nestled under the covers.

The sheets were extremely harsh against my skin.

The mattress was like a slab of wood.

The pillow wasn't much better.

It was _very_ cold.

I bitterly tossed and turned, wishing- no, begging for sleep. But I just wasn't able to in such low quarters! So I lay, looking off to the wall across from me.

Questions and thoughts spun in my mind that was barely functioning. _Why would Dick lie so much? What was he to gain? But why had he also paid for my room and food? Though neither are tolerable. Why had the Denovian people been so kind? They never lied, which is what I expect. But I didn't expect there to be such generosity. What did they mean by Sapa and Ska?_

But when they spoke of destiny, I knew one thing. And that was the fact that Destiny doesn't exist, not for me. I would pave my own way through this world and no one was going to control that. Not anymore.

Before I knew it, these thoughts were my lullaby that finally had rocked me into a faltered rest. My mind was just empty and dreamless like the night.

But the false sleep didn't last for long as I heard a raging neigh in the air. I shot from my bed at the sudden outcry. The loud whinnies and grunts continued, somehow being the only thing in the night. And I knew what was making such awful calls. I scrambled from the log-bed, tripping over the boots I made to notion to move earlier as I snatched my cloak.

Minccino stirred from its sleep, looking to me for only a moment before I was dashing out of the room. The bar of people didn't seem to exist as I pushed through, strength I didn't know I had moving those out of my way. I was outside in a heartbeat, my bare feet pounding into the deep gravel of the streets as I ran.

My eyes focused on my steed taking off, getting smaller and smaller as I couldn't keep up with the galloping hoof that pounded like my heartbeat. Air struggled to stay afloat in my lungs as I heaved. A man's figure rode on the Zebstrika in the distance. My watering eyes from the powerful runs strained to focus on anything about the thief. They grew large as I saw a golden mask shimmering in the moonlight beside the dark silhouette.

" _Turpin_!" my voice screamed into the darkness with a cracked inflection. But soon he was nothing but a ghost from my sight. The feet that carried me stumbled against one another as I crashed into the dirt. The stones scratched up my legs and scraped my arms as I fell, my face gaining a few impressions by the shattered rocks. I fought to rise up again, adrenaline slowly dying as it became apparent there was a red liquid shining like wine in the eerie moon rays dribbling in rivers from my tender feet. The night cold ate me down to my bones as my sweat began to freeze. The exercise from running, the empty stomach, the _blood_ all piled up on me. I turned over to the ground and began to vomit, the empty drops leaving my body painfully as everything felt like it was crushing me.

When I finished, feeling ashamed of myself and disgusted by the aftertaste, I tried to focus slightly. With a hiss of pain, I pulled my feet close, pulling out each pebble that was stuck. "Damn you, Turpin. Damn you." I grumbled under my breath hazily as I shuttered each time I removed a pebble.

He lied to me for one reason; to gain my trust.

And I _foolishly_ gave it to him.


	4. Chapter 4

"It is not _fair_ ," I complained aloud, trudging tiredly down the beaten path. My eyes felt as if medallions were weighing them down, yet the chill of the day forced me awake. Minccino had already curled up into my cloak, clinging to my clothes as it slept pretty soundly, I would imagine. My voice threaded with a yearning to sleep echoed across the long roads, baren of another person. My feet kicked up plumes of dirt as I walked through, my stomach feeling as if there was something inside me, scratching at all angles and roaring. With each step, my legs threatened to break underneath me as if the muscles that held them stopped working if they were there at all.

It must have been what hunger felt like.

My lips were already cracking, the saliva I would wet them with absent from my mouth. Each step was a strong sway, fighting gravity. I don't get me started on the headache that felt as if someone had slashed the base of my skull with a knife. My fingers slowly found their way to my skull, paranoia wondering it someone actually had.

But I was fine. At least, on the outside.

This must be what it is to be truly thirsty.

I wrapped the thinning cloak around my body further, shivering like a leaf as I continued down the road that seemed to haze in and out of my vision. The high day sun beat down, but it was winter none the less. Patches of snow covered the tall reaching grass that occasionally rustled with bustling pokemon. A shimmering frost glazed over the bare branches of trees that surrounded me. A river that just ran near barely trickled, the constant current movement the only thing that kept it from freezing over.

I would have went to the creek to retrieve water, but I believed it would be too dirty for me to drink.

My eyes stole a glance at the reflective snow, it was just frozen water after all. And since it is so white, I thought to myself that it must be clean. And the thirst was unbearable as my dry tongue lashed behind my teeth.

It must have been three days at least since I had left the castle. That is how many times I watched the sunset. Not since then had I had a proper meal nor drinkable liquid. I mean, I had opportunities, but none were of a truly eatable or drinkable caliber.

My hands unconsciously cupped themselves to scoop up a pile of the fresh snow. Few flakes filtered down to the ground like fleeing Fairy-types. I began raising it to my mouth when a little head unfurled itself from my cloak.

Minccino shook its head around, opening its pink mouth widely in a tired yawn embellished with a drowse. But as the little creature's large eyes batted at my hand of snow, it rushed down my arm and brushed all the snow away with its lush tail.

"Hey! I was going to use that to drink some water!" I shouted out to the creature, swatting it quickly in the head. It wasn't a hard hit. " _Bad_."

The grey rodent retracted quietly, staring at me with hurt eyes.

I shrugged the look off, swooping up another bit of snow in an act of contempt towards the normal type. I let the snow fall into my mouth, letting it have no time to melt into a chilling liquid as it all trickled down my throat in one gulp. I ate more and more of the whitest snow I could find, making sure to lift right above the ground so not to get dirt or grass mixed in.

Minccino only watched in some sort of horror, refusing to take part in the water drinking. It was the pokemon's loss, I believed.

The day sun was barely falling away when everything became numbingly cold. Like the temperature was freezing me from the inside out. I rose back up and shook even more violently, but I could feel my headache slowly disappearing. Minccino ran up and curled against my face which I shot in the opposite direction. The creature let out a slight mew but I ignored it.

My feet began to kick into one another, but I still was able to keep standing. My tiredness only grew stronger as I made my way down the road.

A slow buzz of noise slowly grew louder the further I walked. Voices continuously murmuring words I knew but just couldn't understand. Before long, Minccino was nudging my face with its teeny little paw gently. My eyes were closed and I hadn't even noticed.

Carefully, I pealed them open to see what lie in front of me. The forest I wandered in crawled into the city without me even noticing. Stone constructs of buildings reaching out as snow frosted over the cream colored bricks. The city seemed slightly like the capital, only it had more trees around. The dirt underneath my feet was now stone pathways. People bustled around their own business, of high and low class around.

I swayed slightly before I could stand straight, my cloak engulfing me as I blend right into the rest. My light breaths came out in puffs like everyone else who passed, wrapped in thick cloaks. Just like me. Though they seemed to have fur lining. They wore winter cloaks.

And all I had was a ragged fall one. I spited Bianca slightly before continuing down the walk. People's radiating heat bouncing against me, their words spinning like a cesspool. My eyes scanned around as I watched for something, some place. But the bustling people blocked my way as I walked straight, not caring enough to move out of the way for me.

If they knew who I was, they would have.

My eyes finally made a reading on a sign, the odd building seeming to fall apart. "Centre" was what the place was called, it also said "Travelers get one free meal and bed for one night". It looked relatively shabby, my nose crinkling at the thought of even entering it, but I let out a sigh as I knew I'd have to pay anywhere else.

I took a moment to swallow before striding into the building as I pulled my hood down slightly. I looked about the tavern, only seeing three or four people in seats. Their sweaty skins glistening in the amber light of the flames. A couple wooden tables that looked as if they would snap at any moment were set about beside an old bar. Behind the bar was an assortment of drinks and fine wines, my eyes even recognizing commoner brands I had seen in the kitchens once. Far in the back were stairs that led away to the second level, where I assumed the rooms were. An Audino swam around the room, cleaning up old dishes.

Surprisingly, behind the bar was a lean woman. Her long hair the color of clouds during sunset was twirled into low hanging two buns. She was clad in a long pink dress, fur tripping her collar and draping wrists while a white apron pulled tightly at her waist. I slowly strode over to a seat, placing myself just in front of the woman.

Her head turned up slightly as a subtle grin hinting at her mouth, "Good evening, would you happen to be a traveler?"

I nodded slightly to her as Minccino shook its way onto the counter, the creatures amethyst necklace glinting in the firelight as it started to shine its necklace. The bartender smiled softly to the pokemon, "Aw, well isn't that little one a cutie. Minccino seems in fine shape, but if you ever injure the pokemon, I'd be glad to patch them up for you!"

"I would just like the food." I responded curtly.

The pink-haired woman sighed before hurrying into the back to whip up a meal. Minccino looked to me crookedly with its big brown eyes before pouncing off across the bar, wiping it down with its cloudy fur. I gave a slight smirk at the cleaning pokemon as I waited, words of the few people slightly catching my ear.

"Have you seen the increase of guards lately?"

"Yeah, I have. I wonder what that's all about."

The woman came out before I could hear much more, balancing a bowl, plate and mug in her arms which she expertly let fall across the bar in front of me without a single spill. "I'm Joy by the way. My sisters and I run chain taverns across the region. Have you been to any of the others yet?"

I shook my head.

"Oh! Well, we aren't that popular yet. We started the free-for-travelers to attract more business, you and a few others are proof that it is!"

"I see," my eyes though focused in my mug, crystal clear water steaming up slightly. The face reflecting in the warm light nothing that I had seen before. Lush brown hair knotted up, dirt and scratches covering my porcelain skin. My once full red lips cracked and ghostly pale. Everything still felt slightly hazy but I took up the mug and elegantly sipped at it. The boiled water swam down my throat and suddenly everything started to burn. Kindle slowly inside. It wasn't painful, but a shock. The flat tasting liquid giving me life again.

"Where are you traveling from?" Joy asked, trying to be friendly.

I shot her a glance, our blue eyes meeting for a moment, "From the North." I told her vaguely.

"Ooh. Well your still pretty North here in Opelucid. Where are you traveling to?"

I just shrugged, hoping to give the woman a signal I didn't want to speak. She continued to stare at me before getting the signal. Joy sighed before continuing to wipe down the bar. My eyes moved do to what she served me, my nose wrinkling at it. Ground up grain that steamed up in more hot water, a spoon and bread sitting just beside it.

I placed down my empty water mug and picked up the spoon, scooping up the, what commoners called, _porridge_ into the spoon. I lifted it up to my dry lips and slowly began to eat it. It was much better than the Gruel I had last, but this was still of low quality. My tongue smacked the roof of my mouth with each slow bite I took, it must have been a low grade barley. I soon was just spooning it in and letting it fall back, picking at the stale bread served along with it.

Minccino found its way over to the bowl though and began eating its fill. And I let it, listening to the few tavern-goers there were.

"Well, you all haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"The castle was raided again." At those words, my stomach plummeted sickly. I couldn't blink, just stare blankly into my porridge as the men continued to converse. Yet even without closed eyes, the images still seeped into my mind, my body already trembling. I still tried to block it all out as best I could.

"Was it Plasma?" The voices turned very hushed at even uttering the name. My mind focused on the unfamiliar name with precaution.

One scoffed, "I'd bet. I'd join them if I could and help tear down that monstrosity brick my brick."

Another became quick to snap as I only rose an eyebrow at it all, "Hush! Do you want to get arrested for treason? If anyone hears you, they're sure to have your head!"

"I don't see any guards around."

The same who accused one of possible treason continued, "Plasma has taken enough lives, but they crossed the line this last raid."

"How so?"

"Well, you know how the princess had been locking herself away for the past three days, correct?"

They all mumbled in agreement as my ears perked at an indirect mention of me.

The man's voice fell into a low hush, "The last raid was the largest. They tore apart walls. Apparently, the princess didn't flee in time and was captured." The entire table gasped.

"That is a declaration of _war_!" one screamed out in his quiet tone, "Arceus knows Unova won't be able to stand one of those..."

"But that's what Plasma was looking for, isn't it?"

"According to one of the maids, they could hear her screaming as they dragged the princess away." At the very mention, my entire body clenched up. The echoes of past castle attacks shaking me, the screams of maids behind me as I ran to the Royal safe room.

Bianca must have been the maid that reported my kidnapping. She lied to protect me. _She lied. She lied. She lied._ Now the country was going to face war because of the lie. But the raids had been happening for years, it was bound to happen. _But with whom? Who is this 'Plasma'?_

A man sighed, "This won't end well, the king will probably begin recruitment of soldiers for his armies."

My eyebrows furrowed together, Cheren had told me that the castle takes volunteers for the armies. He wasn't lying back then. _Did he not know of this either?_

"It's bound to be a bloodshed."

Everything started to compile as they spoke.  
The unmoving castle guards, blood slowly spreading.  
The symbol painted on the walls in blood.  
The smell of fresh death and fire.  
Screams behind me.  
The broken glass shattered everywhere.

I swore a hand grabbed my arm and I spun around, raising my hands in a fight reaction as my stool went flying out from under me.

No one was there.

Though the men who were talking halted, staring at me with bewilderment. I shook my head at them before dragging my hood back over as I motioned to Minccino that I was leaving. My legs barely kept up as I sped out of the tavern. My stomach boiled up, unable to keep down the food as my body rejected it just outside of the tavern.

I fought my hardest to keep it all inside me, but everything I took in just came out of my mouth with painful dry heaves.

"Are you alright, mam?"

I angled up just slightly to see a man in steel armor, the chest baring the Sharondale crest. It was night before I knew it, the waxing moon shining on him as the knight looked as a shadow would as he rode his dark steed. It was a Zebsrika, blowing puffs of hot air into the icy night.

 _I can't be found_ , I knew so I gave a meek nod before immediately turning away, rushing away as fast as I could. But even seeing him, their bodies came back to my mind once again.

"Wait, mam!"

He continued to call after but I could only continue to move forward. My eyes stared dead ahead but the vivid pictures flashed back, the glinting emerald eyes of a blood-lusting pokemon appearing in the shadows. I dove away into another direction, fire incasing my vision. It felt like it was reality and the city was the dream.

Many commoners still carried out their night, not even noticing me as I ran by in a panic. Without even knowing it, I had flung myself into an alley where I crouched down. I let out hiccupped sobs, begging for the visions to go away. My burning stomach and screaming head only becoming more painful. But over time, my staggered breaths beginning to slow down. Minccino was on my shoulder the entire time, its head rubbing into my cheek comfortingly, but I just threw my head into the pokemon in a way of telling it "no".

"Aw, now what's a pretty lady doing in an alley crying?"

I spun around quickly, falling onto my butt against the freezing stone walkway. It was a gang of three large burly men, like the ones I had seen in the last town. Their crooked smiles and missing teeth pulling me back into Opelucid city, away from the memories.

But this present was grim as something instinctively told me to back up further. I listened.

"Hey, you'll be okay."

Their presence filled with a smog that was as dark as the night. Each word they said was filled with horrendous lies that only sent fear into me instead of disgust. Their eyes glinting with the lust I'd seen before in the last city. But this, was far more intense.

I gulped as they continued to spit their venom.

"We won't hurt you, just come over here."

"Yeah we'll help you."

My eyes shot past them all, seeing a small glimmer of escape, "You have no intention to those words." I spat quickly as I sprang up, lunging for the exit, my tears falling away as my arm thrusted out for the main road. My thin body trying to squeeze past them.

They were quicker though, and stronger. One pulled me back and threw me against the building wall. I cried out in pain as my skull crashed against the stone. I started to scream out for help to the people who passed by, but none even turned towards me as if it were the norm.

I turned back to the men with fear, squirming as strong as I could to get away. But I couldn't as they seemed to encroach. Their breaths swirling with halitosis and alcohol as they struck fear into me. I refused to give up though, I wouldn't.

But where was that knight when I actually needed him?

Sure, I would have been caught, but I could have gotten away before then. I bet I could have. So I continued to kick and scream.

"Gah!"

one suddenly screamed out.

"Ow!"

"Little rat!"

peaking open my eyes that I had squeezed shut in fear opened to see Minccino. The little pokemon had its long claws unsheathed, glittering in the night like daggers as it slashed the men across their eyes. The assaulters stumbled back, clutching their faces and let out gargled cries of their own. The grip on me was released as I struggled to stay standing.

When Bianca's partner finished attacking, it moved out into the road, looking back to me expectantly. I didn't hesitate. I dashed after the grey-furred creature, both of us were running in a direction we didn't know.

All I knew that it was out.

Tears falling back into the night as I still couldn't rest. The bitter night chilling me down to the bones as my face was so frozen it burned. Yet no matter how hungry I was, cold I was, thirsty, or tired- I would always have to be running.

But when this time came, I had to ask myself something.

What was I actually running from?


	5. Chapter 5

I heaved heavily as the sound people began to become evident as I ran. The frozen earth at my feet caving in slightly as I slushed passed the tree lining. I hadn't been able to feel my toes for days, but at the moment I was aware of how they slammed into the front of my boots. Sweat poured down my neck, freezing the hairs on end once I finally burst into a town area.

The crescent moon weighed down in the sky, stars reaching as far as the eye could see above the small town.

Or, what was left of one.

Homes were collapsed at the foundations, roofs caving in as people struggled around. A thick pulsing river that the ice couldn't hold back cut through the center of the wreckage. Splintered lumber crumbling into it as if a bridge once stood over. The commoners around were garbed in many thin layers of grey and brown cloths. Mothers tightly pulled their children close to their hearts while men worked in teams to tear apart the broken homes and salvage what they could.

Something struck me when I saw the motionless bodies lied up, young children to elderly women sobbing over each one. I didn't have to be close to see how grotesque the corpses were, they're swollen like balloons from where I could see. Like they could burst at any moment. Pokémon too were joined in the rows of death, other small creatures nuzzling at them.

I also took a short note of the men dressed like knights, but not the Unova guard, providing food and cloaks to those who begged; people and pokemon alike. But it was curious, once they caught sight of me, the few knights would shrink far into the shadows reach before I could see the symbol they bore.

"Minccino," I whispered in puffs. The pokemon who was gifted to me ruffled its head out from my cloak, just beside my ear before shooting me an expectant look, "What could have happened here? This... This is not what Unova is supposed to look like."

A chilly wind hissed across the ruined town, making me shutter as Minccino just stared with exhaustion. My eyes dashed to where she sat, almost bored like. Could she have seen things like the town before?

Hesitantly, I shuffled over to where a woman trembled and quietly began to speak, "Excuse me," she leapt into the air before turning to face me with surprise, "What happened here? If you do not mind me asking."

"You don't know?" the fair woman's eyebrows scrunched together, wrinkling her paper skin as she shook. "I thought... That more would know. You are in Bridge Village; or what's left of it. No matter what season, we always get flooding here. We rebuild our homes just in time for the next flood. We've tried large dams but they always burst. We've also build numerous bridges across the river that tends to flood, but those have all been broken."

"Why is the King not trying to help here?" I followed up with a new question, growing even more confused.

She scoffed with a tighter tug at her cloak as she spat bitterly, "Why would the King help us now? He never has in the past, why start now?"

"But I thought..." Despite how I loathed the castle that lied, I thought it at least would help people and towns like this. Could I have been deceiving myself? No! I do not lie, not even to myself. "The royal family must be of some help," I muttered under my breath. I gained a crooked look from the woman but she seemed to brush my comment off.

"C-Could you be here to help us? Do you have any food to spare? Or a cloak?" her voice suddenly droned off to a desperate rasp as she shuttered. "My children are cold and hungry, anything you can spare for them would be greatly appreciated." She groveled.

You'd think it to be touching or heart-wrenching. But to me, it was disgusting how the black fog seemed to just unfurl like a flying-type's wings around her as she spoke of her children. My feet slowly slipped back, "Why do you begin lying now? You were doing so good..." I hushed to her as I couldn't hide the twisted emotions on my face from her. I told her the truth as I pulled my own worn cloak closer to my heart, "I have nothing to spare for _you_."

Before she could attempt to trick me any more, I tore away from our conversation without another word. My nose wrinkled at the thought of her, but I couldn't restrain the bewilderment I felt in my heart. I had thought commoners didn't lie. Especially those who are the poorest, they have nothing to lose by telling the truth. So _why_?

Why was the truth something to be hidden? Why must the truth be seldom told? What was so great about lying to the ones around us? I would never be able to see this as I was.

Soon, a great tiredness weighed down on my eyes. Like all the adrenaline between The Centre to now had finally worn out. But there was no good place to rest. Nothing suitable for me. But I needed to rest, I knew that for sure as I struggled through the ravaged town; lost in my own thoughts.

"Don't worry, everything will be okay." A voice whispered somewhere far off, or it felt like. I angled my head slightly in the direction I heard it echoing from to see a man curiously holding his family as only the fabricated darkness only meant for my eyes to see was like a cloak, "I'll always be here for all of you. Everything will be okay. I'll always be here, don't worry."

His voice sounded so honest as he constantly reassured his starving family with deceit. And instead of disgusting me, his twisted words almost made me want to cry. As if he reached in and twisted my heart.

My eyes continued to watch the family he cradled in his arms against a destroyed cottage; probably theirs. I found a mostly dried piece of lumber that I lucidly lied the ground with. With a light breath that turned into steam into the air, I curled up against the piece of wood. It's stiffness extremely apparent, but I couldn't complain at the time as my eyes were already shutting. I felt as Minccino snuggled out of my cloak, the little creatures fur swooshing around my head with a heavy weight pushing down. The pokemon's light breaths were like a soft kissing wind of warmth as it fell into a dream-filled rhythm on top of my head.

I, on the other hand, had a sleepless night. My eyes fluttering between dreams and reality as if no time passed between the gaping hours. I caught glimpses in the night of the man. The man who promised his family everything would me all right. Through a speckled world, I watched as he gently cradled his wife and set her against the broken backing. He gently kissed her on the forehead. Then his two sons. Before he too joined with the shadows, following them far from the ruined village.

The next thing I saw was the dawn slowly cracking, the woman arousing awake tiredly. The desperate denial crossing her face. She pushed her children to awaken also, telling them something that my ebbing brain couldn't understand before they took off running in different directions. She had given them an errand? Then I saw it. How her legs were awkwardly bent as she rested on the ground. Too awkwardly.

She was crippled. The accident most likely occurred during the flood.

Then sleep fell back to me for a moment. The curled warmth suddenly leaving my head and scurrying off. I had no feeling inside me to continue awake. As if suddenly this search for truth was for naught.

Once my eyes could open again, the children arrived and said something to her. She motioned them away with a vacant smile, and once they were left savaging with the other children; I watched as her body shuttered. Her quiet sobs audible by maybe only I who slept not too far away.

But my drowse won out again, pulling me back into darkness before I could see what was to happen next.

Finally, the one thing that could pull me awake, did. A chilling paw pressed into my face before a head bashed into mine, sending me rolling slightly to totter between wood and mud. I finally awakened to clearly see the grinning face of a pokemon with large curled ears. It's brown eyes glittering in the sun which seemed to actually warm me in the winter. Sitting in front of Minccino was an array of berries and herbs that some I hadn't ever seen before except possibly in seasonal decorative basket arrangements in the castle.

"Did you find all these?" I inquired to her with a fog to my voice as I sat up. I eyed the pile suspiciously, one could possibly be deadly or dirty.

The little creature nodded, snatching up what was probably the largest onion-like plants of the bunch before taking a large bite to show they were good. I laughed slightly at the pokemon as I took a small cluster of red berries. There was one thing I knew for sure, at least pokemon didn't lie.

Once my teeth sunk into them, there was a familiar flavor to them. Like an sauce taste the chefs would add to the sweet deserts. I couldn't help but let out a slight cry of delight at the familiar taste from something so wild. I quickly began to eat the red berries swiftly as their deliciousness filled my stomach.

Suddenly, a giggle shook the air near us. I looked over to where it came from to see the cripple woman. She smiled to me softly just maybe ten feet away, "I'm guessing you found Rose Hip. My children love those berries for how sweet they are." she spoke so casually as if she wasn't crying just a few hours ago. Her swollen eyes blending with her chilled red face, "They are the winter version of Pecha Berries!"

I licked the juices from my teeth delicately as I looked to her, "Really? Could you tell me what else I have here?"

"Sure, just come over to where I am with the food and I can tell you what you have."

I nodded as I saw the truth in her words. I scooped up the scraps of greenery that Minccino hadn't shoved in its mouth as I moved beside the cripple. Her eyes danced across each herb I had and pointed to the ones she knew.

"This here is Watercress, a popular plant here since it grows close to water. But a lot of it got washed away in the floods and overwatered them to the point of drowning." She said as she pointed to a vibrant green plant the resembled moss, "It is actually slightly sweet."

She then moved to what I already knew was to be Skitty Tail, "This is Skitty Tail, if you didn't already know. A plant that commonly grows in water. Not many eat it because of the brown flower it has that resembles a Skitty's tail, though we rarely see that pokemon here in Unova. The stalks themselves are the edible parts that provide a slight starch for you."

Her finger moved on to a green stretching plant with small white flowers poking out that were like tiny snow flakes, "Chickweed! A very hardy plant found almost everywhere. More tart flavored."

"And finally," she laughed slightly as she poked at a small gathering of nuts, "Acorns. Your pokemon found a lot it seems! They are pretty difficult to find here since oak trees don't grow too close. You could have also harvested pine needles to eat since we have more pine trees around. But don't waste the Acorns, they are packed with fats and nutrition to keep you alive out here."

I shared a quick glance with Minccino who almost knew what I was thinking. The little creature nodded in approval before I looked back at the woman. She smiled to me beautifully as her light brown hair tumbled around her loosely, giving her a ghostly ambiance. As if she was just an echo left despite her radiating kindness.

My hand gently took hers as I set the four acorns into her hand, "Take them."

Her dark eyes widened to me, her head shaking back and forth, "no, no! I can't take them, your pokemon found them!" she exclaimed. An odd darkness suddenly engulfing her, "I don't need them!"

I was perplexed by the lie.

"Take them, I am telling you too, ma'am. For your kindness." I ushered as I closed her fingers around the nuts, "You need them more than I do."

She looked to me with a curious look, the same I was giving her as I rose to my feet. Finally, she caved. "Thank you, miss. I will save them for my children." The crippled commoner tucked the tree seeds into her apron pocket before the lies returned. "I don't need them. My boys need them more than me."

"Why are you lying?"

"What?"

"You. You are lying about not needing the food," I said as my voice grew louder. I understood the lies before, but this one made no sense. "There is no reason to lie if you are hungry also! You are losing when you lie! So tell me why you deprive yourself?"

But my bravado was all for show. I asked the questions, not as lies, even though I wanted no answers. Her mouth was crooked open for a few moments, though when she was about to form words- I was already walking away. My feet quickening as Minccino cried out to me. As the creature leapt onto my shoulder with a huff, knowing I wouldn't turn back around.

Before I knew it, I was running out of the town. Not caring when my feet splashed through the arctic-cold river, kicking the shattered bridge pieces in my way. My mind was spinning with the thoughts of everything.

I couldn't understand why a woman as kind as her would have the capacity to lie. She of all people had no reason to! I didn't understand why her husband would say he would stay with his family and then leave that night. They needed him. I couldn't fathom why everything was full of darkness and deception. It was nothing I imagined.

All I could see was that I was the only person in this world that would never utter a lie.

My head shook back and forth with anger and confusion as the forest around me thickened. Pine needles scratching my face as I had to assure myself, _There has to be someone who doesn't lie._

That day, my search for the truth changed. I was no longer looking for a perfect world of truth. I was searching for only one other person.

That's all I needed.

But the ideal of a truthful world still hung at my heart as I ran through the white-glazed forest.

Soon, I was lost in the pines, turning to find my own footsteps. I was running again. The crunching sound of snow breaking at my feet the only noise in my head.

But a voice froze all my actions. Their hissing words sending a Druddigon raging within as panic scratched at my throat.

"Well now, it looks as if someone has strayed far from home."


	6. Chapter 6

The words pulled all my muscles together as everything froze within me like the night.

But it all melted when the voice started to laugh. Not in malice or victory, it was as if a child was playing in the gardens. I swung my head around to see two silhouettes in the distance, a light graceful dance of snowflakes enchanting them with a veil of mystery. I should have started to run the other way, but there was something that drew me closer. My feet moved themselves as they cautiously padded through the snow with airy crunches. The Minccino on my shoulder shuttered gently but seemed just as intrigued. Their shadows became shifting ghosts of the winter the closer I came. But once I could make the strands of hair out, I leapt back. My hands carefully wrapped around a crisp birch tree as I fled behind it.

My eyes though couldn't help but to stay focused on what I saw.

A gorgeous Sawsbuck stood powerfully in the woods, its great white mane of winter furrowing around its neck for warmth. The creature's winding antlers were a bright cream that stood out in the forest. Never had I known such creatures roamed here.

It was wild and free. Something so beautiful.

But it was more mystifying to see the other figure. One whose hand was brushing the wild beast's muzzle like it was a stable Zebstrika. The figure was curious, long and untamed locks of a tea green hue were attempted to be contained in a low ponytail. His dark brown pants had frost slowly encasing the ankles as a only a cream peasants shirt over a black one covered his torso. The man's skin through looked as if it could become one with the snow, almost sickly.

Both his and Sawsbuck's breath filtered in the air as steam, mixing as one. "How come you have traveled so far?" the strange man asked once again to the Pokemon. And it seemed to reply in a string of snorts and hoof beats. "You are looking for something? Aren't we all..."

A silence filled between them, their eyes swimming before Sawsbuck broke it. The great creature swung its head around to where I lurked, huffing loudly.

I leapt back, trying to shrink further behind the tree. Something within me didn't want to be seen.

"There is a human there, you say." The man murmured in a drifting voice. A silence beckoning me to flee, "we know you are there, reveal yourself." As demanding as the words were, the man's voice was something like coaxing a Lilipup to come out from under the furniture. A sweet tone of almost a child.

My head slowly poked around the tree, my body trembling. There were so many people out there to hurt others. He could have been one of them, I thought. He seemed far from it, but I had been deceived before. I couldn't make a sound as even Minccino cup burrowed herself closer to my neck.

The man's face was tender, piercing me with storming eyes, "it is just a girl." He spoke to air before his words flew to me, "You have no reason to hide, I will not hurt you."

My eyes jumped, he hadn't lied at that moment.

My foot carefully moved out on its own, my body leaning out just a bit more as I refused to speak.

He laughed at me in a hushed tone, "come now, I am not that scary, am I?" Something in his face fractured as I didn't move nor reply. "Are you from the town near by?"

I shook my head, small chocolate curls spinning out like thread from my hood. It felt like if I dared a word to him, this snow illusion would shatter. A strange man, as I examined close to see an elegant rapier sagging on his hip as if for decoration than defense, stood before me enveloped by the dancing wind and bitter snow. Beside him, an untamable beast acting as docile as a Lilipup. It seemed so unreal.

He though only smiled, "then, are you here to help the town?"

My eyes widened just the slightest at his words. I thought how only the king could have helped. I never thought to help them myself, I was in no position too. I pushed forward a tight smile and lifted my arms slightly to show how thin and rugged I was. I was no better off than the rest of them now.

"I see," he seemed to understand, but something in his eyes shuttered. I had no way to really pinpoint it, but if I had to make a sort of estimation, there was a disappointment there.

The two of us fell into a glazed silence, the singing wind howling with snow the only sound. Neither of us made such movement, as if he thought this would break too. I don't believe either of us knew what to do next as we exchanged sheepish smiles.

He seemed... Off. Compared to the rest of the world.

Something was different. But I could not decide if it was right or wrong. Whether he was an ally or foe.

And I do believe he felt this too.

But he hasn't lied _yet_.

Our Pokemon tensed at this uncertainty. I saw Minccino from the corner of my eye as she shot looks of her own unease towards the rippling Sawsbuck. The grass pokemon shivered in response before raising a hoof. My eyes only focused on the wild thing as it began to move, dragging its dark legs through the drifts of ice crystals inch by inch to where I stood.

My back straightened as the antlered Pokemon approached, as if I had to rival the winter Sawsbuck's power.

It froze just a breath from me. It's golden streaked face glittered around its obsidian jeweled eyes that seemed to stare into my very core. Puffs of hot steam almost burned as they panted out from the Sawsbuck's leathery nose. It was waiting for my move. The green-haired mystery peered around, just as curious.

This thing was wild.

It was unknown and unfamiliar.

It was _dangerous_.

Yet it was slow as my hand slowly rose from where it was once resting close to my leg. And as if the Sawsbuck was an easily shattered ornament, my fingers traced down its cheek. The creature grunted before burrowing its muzzled further into the palm of my hand. At this reaction, I couldn't help it as a smile burned across my face, my hand moving to stroke the stag's muscle wound neck. Sawsbuck's chocolates fur was far from a grime that I'd imagine as my fingers twirled in between its coarse hairs.

Was a creature like this truly so dangerous? I couldn't stop myself from pondering.

"He likes you," the man whispered in an almost awed tone, stealing my attention towards him.

For just a moment, I had forgotten he was even there. I shot a soft expression to the man as I continued to pet the gentle beast. The Sawsbuck grunted a few times to me, staring at me intensely; a movement that instinctively pushed me to recoil away.

The man just a few feet away laughed, "do not fret, he means no malice." I cocked a crooked expression towards the weaponed character as oddly as he looked. "Ah, so you can not hear them either... How sad. Sawsbuck wishes for you to be his companion. You see, he is searching for something."

"Aren't we all?" I muttered in a bitter hush as I stared into the eyes of the Pokemon, mirroring the man's previous words in my own twisted voice.

 _Hear them? Could he be speaking about the Pokemon?_ My mind started to reel with questions as I moved my eyes back to the man. _He's not lying, that was for sure. But it sounds like nonsense_.

"And she spoke! I almost thought you would never speak such things as words," he laughed quietly, almost like a child discovering something they thought to be nonexistent. "And you are quite right about that..."

I smiled to him with a roll of my eyes, the graced day only speaking as time followed. But it seemed my stomach wanted a role too, as it snarled for all of us to hear. My immediate embarrassment engulfed my face with a red blaze as I looked away. I had been hungry for quiet some time, but it was rude for a woman to show it in such a barbaric way.

My hands flung to cover my stomach as I moved my face to hide in the Sawsbuck's dirt-smelling mane.

The man broke into laughter at me, joined by the jeering Minccino on my shoulder, only causing me even more anguish.

"Your stomach seems to speak on its own accord," the man spoke through his rumbles of laughter, his thin whips of green eyebrows raising to me in a curiosity. "Come with me," my eyes fell weary to the newly met man. I was reminded of that Turpin man who stole my steed what felt like years ago. "you are not strong enough at this point to go on alone. Without food, your body will surely begin to shut down numerous other vital functions until you are left unable to carry yourself."

"minxi!" Bianca's fluff ball cried out with great joy in its tamber.

The man smiled to the perched Pokemon beside my head, "come, even your companion agrees. And you mustn't harm your friends, they are all you have and deserve what you would give anyone else."

"How do I know you are not lying to me about what Minnccino says?" My voiced piqued, though of course I would have been able to see through any untruthful word. But something within me wanted to ask.

"Well, you now you don't do you." He smiled carefully, beginning to walk away into the thicket, "you'll just have to trust me." Has the snow began to encase him, a shadow stirred. But not his. Something shook from the way, a small Pokemon pacing by his side as if it had been hidden with him all along. It first looked to be a tiny figure but it began to shift, stretching into something new as they continued walking.

It was as if an illusion lifted to reveal a loping two legged creature nearly surpassing the mystery man in height. It thus still followed his shadow.

The Sawsbuck beside me nuzzled my head with an affectionate snuff before starting to follow the dusting footprints left in the snow. I shot the Ashy Pokemon on my shoulder a questioning look and, as if she understood me, she gave the slightest nod of reassurance.

With a deep breath, I followed the tracing tracks of three left only by the snow that would soon be wiped away by the ever changing world around.

The chill shot my bones as if I wasn't used to it yet while my eyes could only trace the silhouetted man as more veils of snow breaths wrapped between us; yet someone I never lost sight of him. The howling absence of words deafening as we walked on. It did nothing but pose more questions.

Who was this person?

Why were they in the forest?

It was hard to trust anyone after, well, living my life. And now out in the world, I am coming to realize lies are still there.

My arms trembled as another gust swept my cloak about, the chill sinking across my soul. There were no longer sheltering birch trees around us, the forest thinning out to a grazing plateau covered with snow like a tundra. A few Pokemon dared to bound across, digging for any hints of food before scurrying away as they heard our approach. My feet slowed so I could gawk at the unfamiliar land, but the man of tea hair dared not slow. So I had to snap back to reality and continue to follow after he and the shadow Pokemon. Sawsbuck hadn't yielded either, kicking up bows of sloshing snow with each step.

As the clearing rolled past, small buildings began to sprout up. Frosted stone paths built the way, even a bridge that roped above the town for space conservation. Small cottage homes nestled themselves between each other, along with a familiar building.

A small shack with a sign reading: Centre.

We passed it though as if it never existed, the man sleuthing into the largest building. Amber torches flickered within, warming it from the inside out while a beautifully carved oak door ornately acted as the only guard. A hanging sign drifted above the door in a plated turquoise metal to read out the name. It was called "the Corde" as told by the sign.

Both Sawsbuck and the shadow creature joined a corral of other Pokemon built just aside of the building, though Minccino was determined to stick my by side, ruffling her little head with a small purr.

Once entering, a rush of comforting warmth tickled my skin from the flickering flames of torches and candles from nearly every inch of the tavern as it appeared. There were dozens of fine wood tables draped with melted bunches of candles that fused over the passing time.

The tables were bustled with small groups that kept their tones to a dull shiver, like a white noise. Only a few of the tables were open but the man who lead me here still hadn't halted as he strides to a vacant one in the center of it all. He quietly moved a chair, shooting me a beckoning look as he simply held the seat out.

It was second nature, as if in my blood, as I took poised strides over to him, gracing myself into the seat he offered. He then gently pushed my chair in before mingling over to his, directly across from me.

Both of us sat in only the lull of the world around us, a bar tendress coming by to drop off two plates. I shot the man across from me a curious look and he just cocked his head to me with a wry smile. "Why do we already have food?" I finally said with a huff of defeat as I broke a vow of silence.

He smiled childishly as if he had won, "I come here often to eat with a comrade or two and we all have the same meal. Go ahead and eat, miss..."

With a nod, I picked up the metallic fork and knife, somewhat shocked that neither were rusted no dirtied. Delicately, I broke the skin of the meat plate with the fork to hold it in place as I sliced the knife in elegant movements across the roast. Bianca's little grey rodent leapt down on the table, poking her nose at my plate as I politely shooed her away with my elbow.

Coolly, I lifted the aromatic meat that was triggering my mouth to begin pooling with water. But before I could snap a bite, the man cleared his throat distinctively for my attention. My eyes snapped out to meat his spheres of ash, "Yes?"

"What is your name, miss?"

I blinked for a moment, recalling both names that had been seldom spoken. "I call myself White Albion," I finally was able to speak, enunciating each syllable in a dragged tone.

He nodded slightly, "a simple but meaningful name. Would it be prying to know your age?"

"I am seventeen; to be eighteen in the approaching months." My eyes looked to the man cautiously, "and what of you?"

I call myself N, nineteen years of age, going on twenty, some day." There was no hint of dishonesty about him in any way. It almost was perplexing.

I nodded, the silence befalling us once more.

With nothing left to say, I took a hesitant nibble. And as the succulent favors danced across my tongue, it took almost every fiber that held me together to continue eating properly. I took orderly bites, but I couldn't help as I let out a moan of pleasure from the taste of my meal. "Roast Ducklette," I murmured as it was an simple meal I would eat at the castle on occasions. To imagine _commoners_ were eating the stuff! If it was a common meal, I would never want to leave this life! Throw the ideal of truth away for this delicacy.

Though I doubt I would ever get to eat Krabby legs. I could have dealt with that.

"Indeed. You have some excellent tastes there miss Albion," the man who called himself N said with a grin as he barely touched his food. His elbows were perched on the table, his fingers spinning an odd golden cube of cubes around as his eyes followed my movements. One should feel unease under a stare, but there was something of innocence behind his eyes that was difficult for me to grasp. "Not too many may even taste it since it is a very expensive meat; anywhere in Unova."

I swallowed what sustenance resided in my mouth before blinking owlishly, "is it?"

He laughed at me, almost a giggle, "it very much is. But Swanna have their nests close here so hunting their Ducklette is easy. I, myself, would never turn my weapon on the wonderful creatures," the mysterious man patted his rapier for a moment before turning back, "but I have no discord in eating them, as long as they do not go to waste."

"So I can see, sir N." I continued to carefully eat my meal as if it were my last, keeping my finely perfect posture. But as Minccino begged, I cut a small slice for her and slid it off to the side as I turned an eye away.

That N man never seemed to stop fidgeting with his cube, his mind fixated on the toy as I fell in a peace to eat.

That would be yo until he spoke again in an all new topic, "you are quite mannered, miss Albion."

My gaze met his eyes only for a moment before they fell back to my meal, "so are you, sir N."

His lips curled up gently, "You are very true there." People began to move about, in and out of The Corde as bar tendresses danced around to wipe down the tables for the next guest. "But you are extremely refined in how you carry yourself, how you speak, even as you eat despite how feverishly starved you were. You even were able to identify the Roast Ducklette. One can't help but wonder if you are of any noble family; though if you we're how come they sent out their marriageable daughter out into the common world with only a Minccino and the clothes on her back. Where are you from?"

He was quite perceptive. More than I would have anticipated. I had to tell him something.

"I was raised in the Sharondale Castle; my parents have worked there for most of their lives. I needed to get away."

It wasn't a _lie_. It was all true, just vague.

"Really?" N breathed out with a child's bright expression. His eyes though flickered with something. Something terrifying, but I just couldn't see. "I have heard of many servants running away before. I was told they were extremely cruel there, and are as strict as hell. That would explain your total refinement and polite tones. Also why you have a cleaning Pokemon traveling with you. I had been informed that they beat servants who didn't follow orders properly. Had you ever met the princess? A former worker there told me she was just oh-so callus and spoiled, is this true?" His bombardment of questions were all of sheer curiosity.

But they did strike a cord. My silverware fell against the table I screeched to stand, "that is not true!" The entire room froze, their eyes trained on me as I shamefully hung my head. I murmured and apology to the room as I slid back to my seat. "H-Her highness is just a bit... Suffocated. The castle, it is very difficult to ever breathe there."

" _Really_."

My breath shuttered in my lungs like shutters in a storm, my hands prickling with blood as I trembled. I had to escape this conversation, "what about you? Where do you hail from for to have such high manners?"

 _Why? Why wasn't I making a run for it now?_ I did not know the answer to that.

N cocked his head gently, eyes glazing over as he stared past me, "no where in particular. My father is just a very respectable and honorable man, no matter the position. He taught me very much of what I know today, everything really." His smile was genuine.

Our night after that followed with gentle banter as we both hid much of our lives in between the lines we spoke that night. Secrets danced, threatening to slip loose from either of us that could have destroyed it. But none was said aloud as I sometimes found myself laughing.

By the end, N paid for our meals. Sawsbuck had said something to N, apparently (since I am still not entirely sold on this hearing pokemon thing),that he would wait till morning for me in the corral. The shadow creature, which N told me was a Zoraroak, tagged after his master. We then traveled to the town's Centre, where a look-a-like of the one I met in Opelucid welcomed us to the town. It was apparently called Lacurosa Town. She gave us two separate rooms.

And upon entering my own, once N left, I found something so beckoning waiting.

It was a double bed in a simply bland room. But the mattress was topped with one of the fluffiest quilts I had seen ever since I left the castle.

It was in a natural motion, I removed my cloak and had barely a fight with my corset. Minccino had sprung from my shoulder and wrapped herself in a bundle on my pillow soundly. I soon followed her lead, burying myself in the thicket of covers that held my heat in a cocoon.

The mattress was stiff, as if there was something stabbing me in the side. Once I couldn't fall asleep, I checked under the mattress and I found a small bean curd. Under the assumption someone had eaten in the room before, I scoured it about tiredly for anymore.

Once it was clean, I curled back into bed, drifting to sleep in a haze where only one thought was left echoing louder than cannons.

 _I will run, early in the tomorrow's dawn. Take Sawsbuck and leave N._


	7. Chapter 7

A silken bunch of fur whisked passed my nose in a lucid manner, stirring me from slumber. I had not dared peak my eyes open as I hummed out. Giving a light stretch out to my toes, I curled closer within myself as the thick blankets that swaddled me were drawn closer to my heart. Slowly, though, I found my sleep threading away through my fingers. The irritating cotton pillow case suddenly became apparent, burrowing into my skin like little thistles.

I scrunched my eyes, burring my face further into the scratching fabric. I felt as the little weighted creature that slept around my head now shifting, kicking her paws lightly as she leapt down to my shoulders. She carefully began to snuggle her muzzle into my neck, and instinctively I swatted her away with my hand, "shoo, shoo. Five more minutes, Bianca."

The little creature froze.

My own eyes suddenly finding themselves wider than silver coins as I uttered the name.

Everything began to run back, the realization of where I was as I briskly rose from where I had lay. The nipping morning that soaked through the walls snapped at my skin as I curled the blanket in my lap between my fingers. I had fallen asleep so comfortably, that I had thought to be back in the castle.

stonework walls constructed a simple room, a torch burning low just beside my room's rotting door. On an unstable-seeming writing desk tucked away in a corner, was a folded pile of my peasant garb.

"I am... sorry," I garbled the words within my head, enunciating as best as I could first thing in the morning to Minccino. The silver-furred Pokemon shifted her polished eyes up towards me, breathing a reassuring smile to say that I had not offended. We both have an exhausted huff, my fingers absently ruffling the creature's head.

She did not fight the motion, but I could not dare look at the Pokemon as I looked off towards where the light grew from under our door.

 _It must be nearing dawn_ , I could already begin to pick apart the day from the little light I captured. It was grueling to pull my body up, but my feet found themselves pressed against the wood that started to sliver into my skin. I winced, but pushed on. I only had precious time to leave.

To where, I still had not a clue.

I delicately equipped my layers of dress, wrapping my vest corset around my waist, I still had found the thing a difficult contraption to work. If only I had a maid to assist me at the time. In the room, there was a small mirror perched on the wall just mere feet from the door.

The reflective object drew me in, and I found myself staring at a ragged girl. Her hair snarled with so many knots, I had not a clue where she would begin. Small leaves and sticks where ensnared within the nest as dirt encrusted the ends of her hair and printed across her cheeks. I watched the woman draw all her fingers to trace the welts and gashes that tore her paper skin. And her _eyes_.

They looked so bewildered. Frightened. She had not the slightest idea where she was going. She had not the heart though to turn back.

That _I_ knew for sure.

So, the reflection took a deep breath, the red cape on her shoulders sagging with her movement before she began a little project. She reached her fingers back towards her head and, strand by strand, started to run her fingers through the greasy locks.

I... ran my fingers through the greasy locks, wincing at each knot I caught. Which was just roughly the entire period of time. I picked and crumbled away the debris that riddled my hair, letting it be whisked away onto the floor. It was the best I was able to do.

A sudden weight dropped on my shoulder, " _Myx_!"

My skin crawled as Minccino leapt onto me. I swiveled my head in shock to see the little furred pokemon grinning at me, and I returned a small crack. She must know.

It was time to depart.

I was out of the room briskly, my hands airily gliding down the handrails that led to the ground level of The Centre. Dawn's light was twirling in threads of dust across the tavern, all candles blown out as their vanilla wax crusted over the center of each table. Not a soul had inhabited the floor, making it a simple slip through the room. With each step I took, the floors groaned before I finally made it to the metal trimmed door.

I was wrapped around the iron handle when a voice caught me,

"Departing?"

The owner stood just around the side of the bar in the back, her ribbons of pink hair falling around her as a veil. She hadn't seemed to be even fully dressed yet, her wool nightgown falling down to her toes. She must have heard me creeping across, I thought I would have noticed her earlier if she didn't just emerge.

I only gave her a brisk nod, not having much motivation to speak to her.

She gave forth a smile that curled up into her eyes, "Then, do take care. I hope either one of my sisters or I will see you again."

She...

Wasn't lying.

I gave pause as I was in half way out the exit, "thank you." With a slight turn of my head, our eyes locked as I gave a song of gratitude. She, oh so simply, smiled back. Minccino gave a wave off of her own as I finally exited.

The early morn immediately bit in, prickling at my skin, I gave small shiver. Though it was no longer as much of a bother as it once was.

But I would prefer to be soaking in a hot bath.

Oh _Arceus_ , a hot bath. I sorely needed one. One with bubbles! And rose petals to get rid of the foul stench that had coated me since day one.

Howbeit, the concept of a bath itself seemed like a distant ideal.

Stuck within my daydream, I begrudgingly trudged the the cobblestone village. Lacunosa Town was mostly made of white bricks and rocks, their homes each with a careful thatching. A bridge wrapped around the town almost like a shell. It was a quaint village, and far less dirty than what I've seen as of late.

 _This must be what the rest of the region is like. I just happened upon a bad area, correct?_ That's what I thought as I continued to tread to the Pokemon corral.

Once I had arrived to the wood-fenced pen, I set a hand against a post to peer further in. Dirt and feces covered the earth within. My nose twisted as I did not dare set foot within the cesspool. Despite the grime, few Pokemon speckled the town corral, so it was quite easy to spot Sawsbuck.

The great creature was wrapped up around itself in the very back, its long neck drawing out as its chin settled on the corral floor. Sawsbuck's mane was snuffled around, dirt starting to contaminate its once pure white color. The frosted horns though gently glittered as light began to strike the pen, untainted by the grime.

"Minccino, I demand you to go wake it up," I ordered, shooting the slightest glance to the furball on my shoulder.

She returned a mirroring crooked look.

"Well _I_ am not going in there," I hissed, flicking a stray lock that slipped from my biggin cap. Her chestnut eyes burned into me, causing something uncomfortable to stir under my skin. Finally, I felt as if I had lost, " _Please_."

A little smile curled at her ashy lips before nodding. Minccino leapt onto the pen posts, dashing around the fence towards the corner that Sawsbuck had chosen. I nervously looked behind where I stood, towards the east. About the trees, I could make out the twirling morning rays growing stronger. The sky was no longer an sparkled obsidian melting away, but an orchestra of pinks and oranges ushering in a sapphire hue.

I sent a hastened glimpse to Minccino, who was dangling above our mount. Her paws softly dropped onto its haunches. The light weight did not yet stir the Sawsbuck though. So Minccino scurried further up the neck of Sawsbuck before perching herself just between the wild beast's eyes. She began to swipe her fluffy tail rapidly, as if dusting, across Sawsbuck's nose.

Finally it awoke, the golden lines that traced from its eyes parting so it could focus on the rodent that had broke its slumber. It had not seem too angry about it, just irritated. The cervine simply rose, back legs kicking up first before it gracefully trotted across the corral. Mere feet from me, Sawsbuck threw its front legs back, springing high as if the ground was merely elastic to propel it higher.

Fear shot into my blood, taking control of my body as I curled down to duck. Yet Sawbuck dan not needed it as the creature soared like a Pidove over my head, hooves clacking against the cobble streets. Still not creeping back up, I twisted back, fingers still trembling.

In quiet beats, Sawsbuck strutted over, towering above. It puffed steam out from its flared nostrils. I was curled up just at the bushels of white fur that fell at the looming creature's knee. It waited with knowing eyes staring down at me. Timidly, I rose back up.

I met the eyes of the six foot creature, feeling a dreaded sense of how small I actually was. But I shook it off as I started towards the creature. My fingers snaked to as high as I could reach into its snowy seasoned mane. I began to jump, throw my leg over its back. My attempt was in vain as the Sawsbuck took a single step forward, throwing my entire center of balance askew. I flew back onto my rump.

So, I rose again, trying another endeavor.

Once more, I held all weight on one foot before lunging into the air.

Sawsbuck sidestepped, letting me fall forward. Momentum gave way to my legs that tried to stick the landing, forcing me to crumple onto my knees. I gave a huff as I got back to my feet. A cyclical pattern much like this continued on for a more than acceptable amount of time.

It was more than benign irritation when I snatched up at Sawsbuck's birch antlers. I could barely grasp small twigs that curled from them, but I was able to hold on and force the creature to look me in the eyes. We both puffed out fogs as I just burned a glare, "I thought you wished to travel with me. We are departing now, if you want to come, then stay still and let me onto your back. I shall _not_ give up."

The creature held the contest for a moment before it shook about, tearing its antlers from my hands. Their points ripped at my skin and made them burn. I retracted my hands swiftly.

After that, Sawsbuck stood still.

I looked to it and the Pokemon glanced awaitingly before staring back off into the forests that kissed at the town border. With a slight swagger of victory in my step, I took another try at mounting.

I hesitated.

Something gnawed at my stomach from what I had just done.

Was this what they called guilt?

Running my fingers across Sawsbuck's neck, I kept my eyes focused on the pebbles just at my toes, "I apologize," the words slipped between my lips in a strangled tone, "I should not have forced your head down. That was quite- rude of me."

It felt unnatural to say anything like this, my mouth finding it strange.

Sawsbuck just snuffed, tossing its head about casually. _Did he accept it?_

He must have.

I took up another gulp of the frost-coated air before taking another jump. It was another failure as I felt myself falling back. My stomach had twisted in that moment, discouragement sinking in. Except my foot never landed against the ground. something shaped much like a stirrup latched around the sole of my boot, a sudden strength suddenly assisting to launch me up into the air.

Suddenly, it was possible over Sawsbuck. With the new opportunity, I grasped tighter into Sawsbuck's mane and croup. I used my upper body strength to drag myself even higher, finally able to throw my left leg over the side of the Pokemon.

From my now high perch, I felt as if I could see much more, the world completely expanding and I couldn't help but grin. I could see past the town, the sky feeling that much closer.

I could also see what was below. Most notably was the man with tea green hair, a beige cape hanging off his shoulders that almost covered the silver rapier dangling at his hip. On his face sat the silly little smile, his eyes closed as he angled his head up to me, "No need to apologize to Sawsbuck. He had said that he was testing your strength."

Words eluded me as I stared down to him, my shoulders bristling just by his very presence.

"Are we departing, now?" the strange man just kept his expression, not even a hint of malice in his tone.

As puzzling as it was to see him, I brushed it off, " _I_ am departing, now. It was good to meet you, Sirrah," I could barely pull his name to mind,"N. But I have something I must find. It will not just wait around for me to stumble upon it."

He continued to stare up at me, running his fingers across Sawsbuck's neck.

"I must find it _on my own_."

N's smile faltered slightly, but hadn't faded, "Well they do say that two pairs of eyes happen to be better than one."

"What I am searching for is not something just anyone can plainly see," I could plainly see it. The white glow of the light against the man's shirt as morning sprouted. But it was no matter, because only I had the vision to know.

I just doubted if I would ever find it.

I gave a swift kick into Sawsbuck's gut, ushering the beast forward. With a groan, the wintery deer took its clattering steps across the town. "Well what is that you are looking for?" from behind, N continued to call, awaking the town further.

"That is none of your business, Sirrah N."

Still persisting, the man took up pace beside me, though his eyes wondering. His head looked about the snow that began to trickle in as we flowed out from the town. A childish expression filling his face with awe. We trekked towards the sun, which broke across the horizon as some golden platter filling a dining table. Its rays stretched like fingers, trying to touch every piece of land around. The snow was sparkling as if diamonds filled the earth and decorated the trees.

Before I knew it, I shared the same infantile expression as the uninvited traveler. It was a sort of primitive wonder starting to spark as the mystifying view wrapped around me.

It was the first time I had ever seen a true sunrise.

"Quite beautiful, is it not?"

Words couldn't come to me fast enough, only letting me nod as I am sure my jaw was hanging. I quickly snapped it back up, knowing that showing such a gawk was quite improper. I stiffened back, rolling my shoulders to sit straight. I hadn't even realized I had begun to slouch. Beside me, Sirrah N stifled a laugh.

"Something you find amusing? And I must inquire, why are you following me?"

He swept at his beige cloak, shooting his silver eyes that seemed to glint like the snow around us, "You are no longer in the castle, Lady White. No need to fear getting scolded by the royal family or housemother for poor posture." I only puffed my chest out further, throwing my nose towards the sky. It- just enacted him to laugh further. His rumbling chuckle just sent a hot flush of embarrassment to my face. I resented the fact I was being laughed at! By a peasant, no less! I finally gave, crumple my shoulders as I shot a glare away from him. "To answer your second question, I also happen to be traveling in this direction... For now."

A small corner of his lips curled, something settling within his disposition. I could not pinpoint it, but something about N...

Just drew me further in.

As the forest spanned out before us, thinning and thickening as it wished, I finally turned my head back. Though I set it closer to my shoulder as I just examined the unusually haired man. Beside him his shadow-like pokemon stalked, blue eyes suddenly locking with mine. The creature and I stared, a sudden competition.

Its head twisted away with a sniff, back to the way ahead.

I grinned gingerly, "Fine, you may travel with me until we part ways." Little flashes turned gears in the back of my mind, memories of the past few days churning suspicion. A feeling of fear. _Fear_. My head drifted back to the castle nights, fire and screams causing my entire body to turn ridged.

My feet slamming against the marble, sweat pouring down the side of my forehead as I hadn't a clue where I was running anymore. Just fourteen, my third raid and I had lost Bianca. I was living it all over again. Fear started to wrap its hands around my neck, tightening with a livid madness.

A small paw shattered everything. A cold skin chilling my cheek. I spun around, slightly realizing where I was again and found Minccino staring up to me with concern. N too gave a crooked focus. I just threw a plastic smile to them both, "As they say," I hadn't a clue who ' _they_ ' were, "It is safer to travel in numbers."

He looked absolutely delighted. Like a child receiving a piece of candy. It was so- innocent, if I had to give it a word. "That they do, that they do."

There was a silence for quite some time, before we knew it, a bluff had cast itself before us. The ocean just to our left still froathing and fighting despite the winter that should freeze it. The sun by this time had rose to midday and lit the land to an intense light. I had already tugged my crimson hood to shade my eyes.

"I have been meaning to ask," N began, his own hood casting a darkness over his face. I could not read him. The thought of a question rumbling a scarcity in my stomach, though I hadn't a clue why. But it melted away as he finally inquired, "Minccino's collar, that is _Denovian_ , correct?"

I shot a sudden look to the amethyst gem bound in a leather necklace around Minccino. She proudly thrusted the jewelry out to catch the light, little feathers fluttering in the sea breeze. "yes, yes it is," I muttered quietly as I reached a hand out to Minccino. My fingers froze just above her head, retracting back as I decided against the action. "When traveling through a small gate town between here and the capital, there was a small store run by a Denovian couple and their daughter. Minccino saw a necklace much like her own in the window display and utterly fell in love. So we made the decision had stopped in."

"Ah! Do you recall if the name of the establishment was called, 'twin dragons'?" His voice rose in excitement.

"I apologize, I did not really catch a good glance at the store sign before entering or departing."

His shoulders sunk, but it didn't quite deter N, "Still, I am glad. Glad that someone still treats them more than just shadows."

I could not quite understand what he meant, my brows snuggling close, "What reason is there to treat them differently than ourselves?"

He only chuffed out a hollowed sound. Perhaps it was a laugh? Though, it was quite darker.

"No reason at all."

He seemed fixated on the ground as we continued, carefully scaling down the rocks of the bluffs. I held my balance as Sawsbuck jumped here and there with abrupt clatters. His next words had engrossed me for days after, trying to make sense of what N had meant by them. I was so, so naive back then.

"Other people just seem to forget that a different skin does not mean a different heart."


	8. Chapter 8

_I am going to die._

That was the first thought that poured into my senses. The only thought. My lungs were too busy being filled with a blackened smog that was flooding the halls.

I hadn't a clue where I was running, the fear of twisting an ankle not even a feather as my heels clattered onto the marble. I didn't have time to falter, not while _it_ was following me. Its steps were not even audible, drown in the screams that filled the castle. The monster's breath though, each pant felt just inches from my throat. The image of its carnivorous fangs scraping against my skin pushed me farther than I thought I had the strength for.

My eyes ravaged the world around me, each new image like lightning to my heart. My father's portrait slipping from a broken frame, what looks to be a blade had cut through the painting's face as it curled into itself. A maid who hadn't made it to a safe room in time was motionlessly curled around herself, an eerie red liquid seeping from her. Our golden threaded banners fueled the raging flames, the heat climbing to turn the castle into ash.

If I wanted to live, I would have to keep running. I hadn't a clue where, I just turned every corner I could, no longer caring to where I went. Just as long as I could get away.

Everything though crumbled away in a single snap. A break that shattered my world as I flew forward. The marble shot into my shoulder, my dress clotting as I slid against the surprisingly icy marble. I dared to look back, taking in the heel of my shoe hanging by just a thin bit of glue and my foot wretched too awkwardly.

Of course, by sending a stare behind, I would see the monster. The creature's emerald eyes that hunted me for years pierced through the swells of smoke. Claws tore against the floors like bells as the hunter broke through everything with a lunge.

I let loose a scream as if it could change anything as I began to scramble across the stone. I felt as the monster grasped a hold of my dress skirt, fabric ripping as I still fought. Voices I had never heard began to bounce down the damaged halls,

"There was a scream!"

"Liepard must have caught up with her!"

"We have the princess now!"

Tears began to blind me as I was still pulled away, rising up just to feel a burning rip across my back. Once more, I shrieked out, falling again to the ground. What felt like hot water slowly bubbled up, burning between my shoulders and sticking to my fabric.

I was well aware that it was not water.

My throat began to swell up, the pain starting to take over as I still reached out an arm to pull myself away. Boots slammed against the earth, shaking my world. Still, inch by inch, I dragged myself with terror being my only motivation, _I don't want to die_.

A snarl yanked me away from escape. The monster was far from finished as it sunk its mouth into my shoulder, spinning me to look up at it.

It wanted to see the fear in my eyes. It relished in the dread that consumed me. It had to from the way the feline puffed its cream chest. The amber fire shimmering against its spotted shadow pelt. Pink feathered plates graced around its vicious eyes, jewels that reflected a hatred I could not understand.

This beast, this aggressor, my hunter. I knew it as it knew me. For years it's been a game of Meowth and Rattata. Every raid, every nightmare, it was this beast that stalked the halls for me, and only me. And now, it has finally caught its prey.

Some people are able to be brave in the face of their adversaries spit, hold a stone expression of defiance.

I simply cried.

Snot running from my nose in disgusting globs while tears flooded my flushing face. I hiccuped between each strangled sob while I curled my fingers into the marble, my manicured, clean fingernails splitting at how strongly I curled into the stone.

"Hyper Voice!"

My vision fluctuated with a captivating darkness, ears ringing, before the flames re-emerged. When I regained my world, I was no longer pinned to the floor. My legs were already standing as I looked to see my hunter thrown into a wall. Coming from the side, I saw a Minccino gulping in as much air as it could muster. Behind the furball was a older maid, her greying blonde strands tied up in a bun as she trembled.

"Sirrah Bel," I had stumbled out with thorns in my throat. Why had Bianca's mother been there? When did she appear.

She threw her head around, "Go, your Highness, _now_!"

If I wasn't so afraid, I might have yelled at her for ordering me about. No, instead the fear snapped its hands across my bare feet, not letting me flee. I hadn't known when I had thrown my heels across the room.

In a flash, I felt something latch around my arm. I began to flounder, slap around and scream at the touch before I recognized my family crest burned into their silvery armor. A guard. Still, I screamed, "Sirrah Bel!"

For a moment, I shut my eyes, a blink, and I was not the only one being dragged. Those voices who howled for my detainment had emerged, lunging and pulling at the maid. Fire danced between us, the castle guard dragging me further down the hall as I watched the woman cry. Minccino being kicked away is it tried to save its master.

It felt as if she never tried to save me in that moment, as if I stumbled a corner to come upon this scene. One of the invader's knees slammed against Bel's stomach, a familiar liquid dazzling in the destruction spitting out from her mouth.

"We must go, Your Highness," the guard ushered in a monotone, suddenly changing the side of which he held me.

I tried to shake him, but the grip only tightening. I took everything in, everything about the invaders. Adorn in white tunics, grey hoods that matched their boots and gloves, black clothes that stuck to their arms and legs. A crest I had seen too many times but never understood was imprinted into their chests, thus imprinted into my memory.

"Run, Your Highnesss," and it began. A dark aura swallowed up where Bianca's mother stood as she fruitless struggled, "Your life is far more important than mine!"

My expression fell, "You're lying..." I hushed as I became barely able to stand. The guard was able to finally drag me away. In a blur of images I focused on the knight pulling me along.

I couldn't see his face, only dark eyes flashing my way, a dark steam enveloping him that was not from the castle fires. "She will be just fine, Your Highness," he forsworn.

"No, she won't."

Again, he lied in an unintentional mimic of Bel, "Your life is much more important right now."

Before I knew it, I was curled in a corner of the Castle Safe room, voices muttering about. A few attempted to comfort me, but none were truthful. No smoke from the fire slipped in, but all I could see was the darkness that each person bore. My injuries were gone, as if they never happened.

"Just a few more minutes."

"The bad people are all gone now!"

"No one wants to hurt you."

"No, Your Highness, I haven't a clue who those invaders are."

"Everyone is all right, no casualties, don't be so worried."

"Sirrah Bel is alive, worry not!"

"My daughter, I love you, so glad to see you unharmed."

"I am so glad you live, Your Highness."

I was alone. Swallowed in an inky black. Each breath I struggled to take just filled with a malice cotton that stung at lungs. The tears had finally stopped. Everything was silent as I had one final thought that hurt worse that breathing.

 _Did anyone even care if I lived or died?_

The dream fractured as my eyes lifted open, all fire being blown out as the winter stuck to my bones. I stared with a fixation at the sky above, stars clustering like snowflakes to and fro from one another in a competition. A small watery trail nipped at my cheek and I easily found myself brushing it away.

More nightmares. Each part feeling so authentic, yet surreal. I questioned what part truly happened and which was a concoction of my mind. Many times, they were all real, memories over the past decade that my brain had patched together to flow as one. Did Bel and Minccino ever truly save me, though? Was it that I stumbled down the wrong hall to find Bianca's mother being brutally beaten? Did I just want her to save me? I'm not sure Liepard had ever truly caught me, but those _eyes_. They were there, stalking me, every single night. Every time I dreamt, I was the princess once more, I was a child again. Living those raids. I was unable to tell dreams from reality.

I didn't want to remember what actually happened. It was easier to keep in in a bottle, a blur of fear. It was easier that way.

But that night. Four years ago when Bianca's mother was found after the raid, covered in bruises and welts with so many broken bones that she was nearly unrecognizable. Her throat slashed. That I will always remember clearly. I hadn't always held utter contempt for the capital, there was a time when I still believed in people.

It was that night I truly gave up.

How could people lie about the value of life? How could they deceive whether someone lived or _died_? That was not in their power.

I still remember that Bianca cried for weeks after. Was silent for much longer. And she lied to me, saying she was all right. I... would have done something to help her if she had just _said_ she wasn't. Even though I knew she was not okay, I did nothing.

But I was too tired. I just wanted her to tell the truth.

Wearily, I sat up from the bunch of leaves I had made as my bed. It was far from comfortable, but it apparently saved me from losing substantial amounts of body heat as I slept. I was still awfully cold. Minccino shifted from my arms, scuffling as her gingery orbs blinked open towards me. With a slight disinterest, I brushed her head in a ruffle as I looked down at the two capes that blanketed me. One, an autumn red cloak I had acquired at the beginning of my journey. The other, a dusted beige that I had just noticed, not being there when I had first went to sleep. Hesitantly, I picked at the fabric before shooting a small glance towards a dwindling campfire.

I had nearly forgotten about my new traveling companion, a man only two years older whose back was shown towards me. The dying glow of our fire silhouetting him as he shifted around to poke at it. He had been the one to tell me about a leaf bed, and built our campfire. One should probably be grateful to have a companion with such survival skills.

I am not saying I wasn't, but, still I crawled from where I was resting with his cape in hand. N heard my movement and looked back with a smile, "It looks like someone is awake, now. Are you all right? Are you warm enough?"

With no response to his question, I stood beside him and let his cape fall to his head, "Do not so easily give your cloak when it is winter."

He laughed when I plopped beside him, pressing my hands close to the few left flames, "But you had looked cold. I am used to the weather, but you spent most of your life in the castle, correct? I heard even the maid's quarters have fireplaces so I assumed you are not yet acclimatized to true Unova winters."

That was eerily spot on, other than the fact I was not a castle maid. But I made no effort to correct him.

N seemed to know quite a lot, it occurred to me, perhaps he knew what _that_ symbol truly was. Carefully, I had to approach it, "Sirrah N," I addressed, immediately gaining his silvery gaze. "Please do not laugh at me, but there is this symbol that I have seen but I do not understand what it represents."

He gave a soft expression, gently directing me in silence. Taking it as an okay, I delicately picked up a stray twig and dragged it against a softened piece of frozen dirt. My stick barely left any mark at all before snapping, causing me to grunt. Deciding a rock wouldn't break, I selected a small stone that I dug into the earth. My crusted and chipped nails just gathering more grime underneath. The memory flickered back and I tried not to tremble, passing it off as a shiver from the icy night. I first drew a shield-like shape, dragging a Z through the horizontal center before dropping a 'P' down vertically. All I did to finish it was carefully hollow out the right side, to represent a black in the insignia.

After setting the rock down, I looked to N whose expression and fallen. Unreadable, "well?" I tread in a low mutter, "What is it?"

"Who are they."

"What?"

N carefully traced his hand through his hair, "You mean, who are they, am I wrong?"

I curled my fingers into my skirt, "No, you are not. Who are they?" I had to keep my stare on him, for any hint of truth or lies. I could not stand any more falsity about this subject.

The man let out a heavy chuckle, but it was not at me, that much I knew. "That is the symbol for the rebel organization, Plasma." His silver eyes looked into the snow-bound woods distantly, not finished in the least, "The rebel symbol. They stand to liberate all of Unova from the ruling monarch family, the monarchy itself. You of all people know how horrible it is within the castle, but I know what it is like on the outside. You have just seen the beginning of it, Lady White. The royal family and other nobles sit on their rumps, eating their fill of exotic meats and fruits while their own people and pokemon barely have enough bread to feed themselves a day. Homes destroyed from natural disaster, yet they do nothing but debate whose is the finest in the land. They have failed as a government, putting us in silent classes, all turning their nose up at those below them. At those who are dying, stricken with deadly illness that the nobles have the money to afford, but no generosity to share. The King after centuries of making peace and promise for a better Unova with his brother, had failed. His sons have fallen back on his word."

I scrunched my face at his words, it ate at me that my home might truly be as bad as he said. Worse than I've seen. It could be worse? "The king though can change that, he can fix Unova. I- I could change it."

N this time did laugh at me, "A former serving girl in the castle? I admire your courage to seek to save it." Minccino crawled onto my lap, her ears perked as she listened with a shared uncertainty in her muscles. "No, it is too late to save this. What we need is change, and no _hated_ king will be able to do that. Plasma seeks to create an equal Unova. They have worked in towns where it is the worst, giving out food and blaket to those who need it. Their leader has led them since he was just ten, determined after seeing the blight across his home."

"What about the raids against the castle?" I quietly questioned, a blade in my voice, "I have been there during Plasma raids, they _kill_ people, servants, guards, no mercy at all." Liepard's vicious gleam stinging behind my eyes as I continued to speak. "Pokemon too. Why would they do that? Why hurt the people and pokemon they are trying to protect?"

This time, I watched his face contort, eyes crinkling in in puzzlement, "They shouldn't. Not from what I know, not the ordinary people anyways. Nobles and monarchs, those if they are so much of an obstacle. Their main point of raids were to gather food and blanket for the people out here, and outside of that they help smuggle out servants such as yourself. Which is why I was frankly a bit shocked you had never heard of Plasma properly."

"I- had quite the sheltered life in the area I worked," I began to mumble quietly. The air filled with a thickness I couldn't shake.

Sighing softly, N rose, "enough talk of rebel organizations tonight, if anyone were to hear, we would be hung for treason." He made a pace to his own leaf bed, lying to rest for whatever hours were left to. I followed suit to my pile with Minccino in tow, "Good night, Lady White."

"Good night, Sirrah N."

In the passing minutes, he was asleep. I though did not dare slumber as Plasma began to bound through my head. I had heard " _Plasma_ " before, a few villages ago in the first Centre. Passing talk about it, and the raids. A coming war. A bloodshed. My mind toiled with everything I had seen, everything I heard.

They hadn't been lying.

There had to be something more.

I watched as N's side rose and fell from across the fire. I knew one thing. He was not lying, either. He answered me in the highest truth. For the hundredth time I had asked, it was the first time I was not lied to.

But there was something amiss. That he did not know. How little he _truthfully_ knew. That I was just piecing together. Those raids weren't to gather supplies, they were a statement.

A message to those still left loyal in the castle, that they were all damned.


	9. Chapter 9

I still remember the day we became friends. I don't think it is possible for me to ever forget.

Morning finally had taken its place as the halcyon sunlight brought just a scrap of warmth to my skin.

Although it was not much compared to the small Minccino wrapped around my neck, her heat radiating against my cheeks. The little creatures was still sound asleep and purred slight snores into my ear as she managed to stay steady. I, on the other hand, had finally risen from my temporary bed permanently and had been scattering the crisp leaves about our broken-down camp. Sawsbuck paced up beside me, letting me run my fingers through his satiny fur absently.

I stole a sheepish glance over to where Sirrah N stomped out the embers left of our fire, making sure not a single, faint glow was left. Draped over the man's wiry frame was a thin hooded cape. It was a basic cottony, beige fabric with time worn into the edges, the bottom already fraying and filled with holes. As old as it seemed, the cloak looked too big for him.

I also recalled that same cloak wrapped over me last night for some time. At first, I tossed it back to Sirrah N during our midnight talk. By the second time I had woken up, it had returned back over my shoulders.

Stupid, stupid man.

Before I was able to realize it, my stare lingered longer than I anticipated and caught the attention of the man. Sirrah N straightened his posture before looking back at me. It didn't take more than a second when our eyes met when a broad grin split across his face. He gave a friendly wave as his shadowed pokemon partner cocked its head towards us.

My mouth dropped slightly, words I didn't know I had prepared escaping me. This just left me as a stuttering mess. Minccino, however, swept to my rescue as her muscles stretched out. The normal type barked out a good-morning as she climbed from my shoulders to atop my head. She pushed her paws down to drag my hood over my eyes and cried out happily, bringing the camp into a moment of laughter. Even I found myself smiling as I reached up to Minccino, "you are messing up my hair!" I exclaimed as I locked my hands around her little sides, pulling Minccino down to my heart, "what a trifling felon."

"She was just giving her morning greetings to us all," N hushed with a gracious serenity to him.

I returned a slight smile in only a polite form. He continued to speak as if he could truly understand pokemon's words. The more he did, the more absurd it seemed! Letting out the smallest breath, a mushroom puff of white steam bloomed in front of my face just to remind me how frigid the winter was. A morning snow dusted in the empty space in delicate flakes. The very thought of it all invited the chilly air into my skin and brought about a longing for a fireplace.

If I had been back at the castle, I would have snuggled beside my chamber's fireplace, swaddled in my finest blankets and sip at a cup of molten chocolate. My brown locks would be far from the state they were in now, cleaned of their crease and cloaking around me like the rest of the blankets instead of tucked under this darned cap.

But... I was not apart of the castle any longer, correct?

I had my arms already thrown over Sawsbuck, readying myself for yet another attempt to climb atop the colossus of a mount when I was halted from trying. "You needn't bother, Lady White," N spoke from behind.

There I turned back to see the tea-haired man prepared to depart, Zoroark close at his side. "And why would that be?" My tongue clicked in discontent, however both my arms were back at hanging to my side.

"Where we are traveling to today is only a short distance away," he replied. Already, the man was twisting on his heel and taking slow strides down the forest path.

I scrunched my eyebrows into one another and gave a momentary glance to Minccino. She simply yawned, little white fangs catching the dawn rays. From beside me, Sawsbuck broke from my arms to trail after the stranger. I dared not be left behind and started after the little party, "I don't recall us ever discussing where we were to travel to."

N kept is stare fixated on the path ahead, his silver eyes dancing from each tree, "Trust me, it happens to be on our path, and once you arrive there, you will want to explore. No one can resist venturing there."

My lips began to part, air drawing in to protest, but I continued to analyze the man's expression. It appeared almost... childlike. A slight smile was curling at the corner of his mouth and his light eyes gave the rest of his face a youthful glow. I bit my tongue the longer I looked at him before I finally caved, "I will trust you then, however it better be as entertaining as you are painting it to be or I shan't forgive you!"

"Oh, you _shan't_ forgive me, Lady White?" for the briefest moment, he slid his eyes towards me with a bemused little laugh from his throat. "Then I must make this location unforgettable. Although I do assure you, the place will speak for itself."

"I'll be the judge of that," I declared stoutly, keeping a small step behind the cloaked man.

Reminiscing about it now, the journey hadn't too long of a travel, however the higher the sun rose, the more it felt like a silent eternity. My already-blistered feet rolled uncomfortably in my boots like they were a stale, overstretched taffy. With each breath of wind, I kept my fingers tightly wrapped at the edges of my thin cape. On the journey we had passed a stream that still seemed to carve its path, despite the stretching sheet of ice kissing at its edges.

A dull roar started to break the day's calm. It only became louder the further our band traveled, like the sound of pounding feet.

Pounding feet. Everything began to pull itself away as the roar filled my head. Pounding feet like hundreds of people dancing around with intent.  
Knights racing past as if I were nothing but a ghost.  
There was no forest, only endless halls.  
Pounding feet.  
Fire hissing into the air.  
A body lay motionless.  
Pounding feet.  
A maid screaming in the distance.  
A body lie motionless.  
Metal slicing into one another with a deadly groan.  
Pounding feet.  
Pounding feet.  
More screams.  
A body lie motionless.  
Suffocating darkness.

A pair of emerald eyes.

Cobwebs drown my lungs, air refusing to move in or out. They were going to kill me.  
I couldn't breath! I couldn't speak!  
Pounding feet.  
Light joined the embargo, leaving me alone.  
A body lie motionless.  
Someone, help!

"Lady White?"

The screams continued, calling for the princess to run.  
The smoke everywhere.  
Was it from the fire?  
Or was it from _them_?  
A body lie motionless.  
No matter. It still drown me, poured itself into my throat to choke my lungs, as if it had hands to hold me under.  
A body lie motionless.  
Bile rose into my throat.  
Anyone, help!

Something soft brushed my cheek.

Claws.  
Silver like steel unsheathed as they met the broken marble.  
Sleek royal fur glistening in the amber flame.  
Everyone raced by, pounding feet, as if it was a mere shadow, but I could see it clearly.  
I knew what it wanted.  
My hands flung over my heart as I felt like running.  
I started to shaking.

Why isn't anyone helping?

"Can you hear me?"

It sprung forward, fangs catching the passing torch. Everything within me became the fire as I screamed.

My body lie motionless.

" _White_!"

Silver eyes.  
Tousled hair like new spring leaves.  
Skin as white as the snow.  
Eyebrows pressed up close to each other like two Sewaddles meeting.  
Mouth drawn open, trying to form words but all I could make out was an excruciatingly high ringing.  
Hands were desperately grasped around my upper arm, my fingers knotting into my hair.

A weight shifted on my knees. I was crouched on the trail. _When did I do that?_ Nevertheless, I finally came to see the small puffball balancing on my legs. Her watery, chocolate eyes the size of coins as she looks up to me. "Mynx," she mewed, starting to ebb away the insentient noise.

From overhead, two shadows cast like walls from the rest of the world. A gentle glance up and I saw Sawsbuck pressed close with is snout nuzzling my shoulder. From behind the man before me was the creature, Zoroark, loomed close with swimming blue eyes reflecting worry.

Carefully, I pulled my arms back from my head and from N's hold, tucking them close. I grudgingly moved my stare away from any face, into the snow-coated grass as if not seeing them would turn me invisible.

"Are you all right?" N asked with a hesitation lingering. "You were screaming..."

"Was I..." My skin crawled with the chill setting into my bones.

The roaring sound was waterfalls. We were near waterfalls. It was _just_ a waterfall.

I took in trembling gulps of air, "I-I am fine. Let us carry on." Without much more to say, I rose back to my feet. Minccino latched her claws into the denim of my draping skirt and used its loosening threads to scale back onto my shoulder. She gave a tepid nuzzle of her nose against my cheek. For empty reassurance, I dragged my fingers airily across her head before dropping my hand back down to my side.

Still they all gawked at me.

"Did I not say for us to keep moving?"

An ice licked within my words, but they seemed to melt against the strange man before me. Not even a flinch as N kept his boots firmly rooted before me. I loathed the fixed gaze he gave. He was _pitying_ me, and it turned my insides around. "Should we not talk about what just happened?"

"I'd prefer never to speak of it."

His mouth opened for a moment before giving up, "okay."

After that, much of the trek was in silence. My hands still rattled together as I dissembled them underneath my cloak. This time, I lead with eyes tracing the narrowing path. Trees began to thicken, crowding closer and closer while reaching out their branches out.

Soon enough, the path had vanished. The world was blanketed in sheets of snow, but undergrowth still broke out in skeletal forms. The forest that had come in place was painted in beautiful white woods that spun up into one another. Continuously the trees spiraled to their distinct branch structures. Clear sunlight broke between their fingers and caught on the droplets that clung to the branches. Millions of beads were frozen in mid-fall, and each of them veiled with frost.

A small pokemon I knew no name for skittered past me, a playmate chasing after. They were small creatures, almost infantile-looking as they seemed to laugh. My heart was graced with a serene rhythm the minute the sweet aroma of the woods filled my nose.

"They call it White Forest. Quite the coincidence, one could say. Beautiful, is it not?"

N's voice set my nerves on edge as I spun around, the end of my cape catching in a slow breeze from behind. I felt a need to fight, to retort what he said. But there was no point when the evidence was irrefutable. The fear balled up in my throat started to untangle itself. I felt a natural pull in my cheeks as I smiled, "It is. It truly is."

The man before me stiffened for a moment, a quiet drifting as a flock of pidove danced from tree to tree. I found myself drifting to watch the ashen pokemon, leaving my group to follow my footsteps in the pristine snow.

That was when a hand intertwined itself with mine, yanking me suddenly back. I recoiled with tense shoulders to the one who grasped me, Zoroark. Beside the inky creature was N who held a smile running into his eyes, "Come, there is something I must show you."

Air caught itself between my words, "I trust you."

If it were possible, N's smile grew even brighter. Carefully I followed as he guided all of us around the trees. We wound between them delicately and precisely, as if he knew the way by heart. "I've known about this ever since I was a young child. It is quite awe inspiring," he spoke quietly with a nostalgic hint trailing his words.

Before long, we stood in the oddest grotto. The forest parted around in ripples from a center trees. Snow and ice crystallized around the barren branches around us, although not this one. As if by some spell, it still held all of its leaves, green and vibrant as if it were summer. The birch-like wood illuminated with an amber warmth that I still find difficult to properly word.

"Walk through it."

"Excuse me?"

N's blissful smile burned into a childish grin as he bent down to look me in the eye, "Just as I have said. Let us walk through the tree."

 _I made a mistake trusting him. I'm actually traveling with a mad man_. I crinkled my nose in the most unattractive of ways, "You do realize we shall just bruise our faces by doing that, correct?"

"Come on," Without any hint of warning, N grasped my arm for the second time that day. He had quite the shocking amount of strength as he pulled me into the tree. I squeezed my eyes tightly, bracing for a swift crash.

Instead, something else came. It felt... light. Air twirled around me as if a dance and took away all anguish for just a sliver of a second. My feet were absent of any ground, just floating, letting me drift away. The very feeling was addictive as I dared open my eyes.

That shattered the illusion. Wind turned harsh as it threw me back, my feet dropping onto stone. The world around me was no longer the same. Strange metallic boxes raced to the sky, glass tinted black. These sky scraping boxes were everywhere, pressed into one another as if they had to conserve, yet take up, as much space they possibly could. The ground beneath me was replaced with a charcoal-resembling stone that continued on. There were also strange yellow dashes down the center, just between my feet. It was quite odd.

Lost in my thoughts, I had barely any time to hear the loud roar. It approached with fascinating speed, like a raging pokemon. I spun in all directions, trying to find the source. It was quick to find, but I had no explanation to what I saw. It was like no pokemon nor carriage I had ever seen in my readings. It was a silver metal and glass constructed beast with two bright flames for eyes as it screamed towards me. Another roar joined in from the other direction. It was much like the other creature, though colored a different shade, red. Was it a shiny form?

I imagined they would stop as they saw me, but neither did. They just continued to shrill their horrible cries as they came closer and closer to me. I was paralyzed. Minccino sunk her ears closer to her head as she couldn't stand the screaming.

Moments before impact, I was saved.

A hand shot out, intertwining with mine, and with a superhuman strength I was torn from the black road. An entire being wrapped around my back as I flew away from the beasts. We both tumbled onto a more grey stone plating the strange world, the other person cushioning my fall.

The monsters zoomed just past my nose with no remorse, powering further to wherever it was they needed to be.

Quickly rolling off, I looked beside me to see N wincing with tightened eyes. Minccino seemed to be the only pokemon with us as she shook around on her perch. The strange, strange man turned slightly to meet my eye and sheepishly smirk.

"Stay out of the street, you damn cosplayers!" a voice cried. Both of us whipped our heads around to see the oddest thing. A man wearing denim as pants, like a farmer would. He sported this overly fluffy cloak that had been cut to wrap around his arms and fall down to his torso. It seemed to be a shiny fabric glistening in the sun. I could only imagine the hours put into making such a thing by hand. My simplest dresses would take the castle maids days to stitch.

N and I turned back with bewildered looks, "What's a _cosplayer_?" I hushed just for his ears.

"I haven't the slightest clue," he honestly muttered before erupting into laughter. I couldn't fight joining him, for it was just too infectious. N was the first to rise back to his feet, giving a slight dusting to his clothes. I was about to join him when he offered his hand first.

Barely any hesitation, I accepted the offer.

He continued to push his grin with met eyes, "From the visits I have taken here before, I know they call this place Black City. It is in the exact place in space where White Forest used to be. However, we are approximately 500 years further in time according to my formulas. From past lure I have researched, there is a chance that the legendary Sinnohsian pokemon Dialga, creator of time, had torn this area of reality in one of his fights with his adversary, Palkia, creator of space. This resulted in the weakening between these two periods of time in the same location making it easy for beings like us to cross over."

A story like that could easily be fabricated. It could have been a complicated lie just to entertain me. It might have been. But the only thing I knew was that he believed in it.

" _Fascinating_ , " I replied airily, smiling at his child-like excitement, "Let us explore."He returned with a beam I could have sworn radiated. So the two of us took off, dodging between the abnormally clothed people, the foreign looking pokemon, the buildings that N had informed me were "Skyscrapers".

No matter how windy it was, I hadn't felt a bit cold. No matter how far we walked, I hadn't felt a bit tired. All I saw was the waving of his green ponytail as he dashed. At some point, we had made it to an edge of the city and he took my eyes by pointing above a skyline.

It lead to a strange object in the distance, "Do you see that contraption, White?" I did. It was a huge arch breaking through all of the trees and buildings in the far distance. Small glass pods looked as if they dangling from the circular rim. For a minute, we watched as the pods sluggishly rolled around with a sort of spin the wheel was on. "They call it a _Ferris Wheel_. It is a ride in what they call _amusement parks_ , places where people gather to make merriment. I have never been to one, but I have asked the people in this area about them... I haven't even been on one of those machines, but I know. I know I love Ferris wheels. The circular motion... The mechanics... They're like collections of elegant formulas. They are perfect."

We continued to watch the Ferris Wheel for a time. Our shoulders brushed one another as it carried people in a lulling circle. No matter the journey the riders took, they would always end where they began.

Inevitably, I took the first move. Clasping both my hands around N's, I looked him directly, "Then let us ride the Ferris Wheel, Sir N , it mustn't be too far."

His silver eyes looked as if they caged themselves with those words, " _We_ mustn't."

"Why not? We may do whatever we like!"

"That is not accuate, Lady White." He seemed to sink as he talked himself down, "Time is an extremely fragile thing. If we make too much of an interaction, it could affect our decisions when we return, and change this future we see now. Arceus forbid we meet our descendants, many philosophers have theorized extreme consequences."

The word of returning hitched at my heartstrings, "Must we go back though? Can we not stay here?" What if this was what I was searching for? Perhaps I will find truth in the future, that must be it. The future was where I belonged, not my present nor the world's past. That is what I believed.

"We must, I still have things I must do, and you still have a quest of your own," he said, his voice catching a melancholy, "I can assure you you will not find what you are looking for here. Trust me, we must look into our own time for answers or dare be lost for eternity."

His soft hand interlaced between my fingers, a dull warmth bouncing between us. He quietly lead us back to the city, the way he knew to be our right time. N didn't dare look back at me as we walked briskly.

I sucked my lips in, still keeping pace, "You said our descendants... Do you think your descendants and mine might be friends in this time?"

We began to slow, "That depends, does that make us friends in our time?"

A small smirk tickled at my face, "I _suppose_ so."

N stopped in his walk, letting me nearly run into his shoulders. He peered over with an elegant smile created with a rose-tint, "then I suppose they would be friends too."

After, we were both just two grinning fools, returning back to our time. Two naive fools pacing through the addictive tear in time without a care.

We were two fools who never saw how our fateful meeting would be the ending to this tale.


End file.
